- Date
- July 30, 1994, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Chamblee, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N57THBoeing A75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940730019719A
- Case key
- 3425
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The fatigue failure of the left main landing gear shock absorbing strut that resulted in a loss of control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during the landing, the left main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off the runway and struck a sign on the side of the runway. Examination of the left landing gear revealed that the left main landing gear shock absorbing strut was fractured and the gear had collapsed. A malfunction or defect report submitted by an airworthiness inspector stated that there was no evidence of a hard landing, and that a review of the aircraft records failed to establish a total time on the component. The report stated that metal fatigue was suspected.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 1994, at 1205 eastern daylight time, a Boeing A75-N1, N57TH was substantially damaged following a collision with a taxi-way sign and runway edge light at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Georgia. Neither the commercial pilot, nor his passenger were injured in the accident. The aircraft was operated by American East Airways, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed for the local, personal flight.
The pilot stated that during the landing on runway 2L, the left main landing gear strut collapsed. The aircraft veered off the runway to the left, and struck a taxi-way sign and landing light prior to coming to a stop.
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the left main landing gear shock absorbing strut was fractured, and the landing gear had collapsed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the accident site stated that there was no evidence of a hard landing. He also stated that a review of the aircraft records failed to establish a total time for the failed component. Additionally, a Malfunction or Defect report submitted by an airworthiness inspector indicated that a fatigue failure of the upper shock strut cylinder was believed to have occurred (attached).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57TH
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-4240
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- American East Airways
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1994 · 50 hours before
- Airport
- PDK · Dekalb-Peachtree, runway 2L, 3,744 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 11 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N57TH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.