# NTSB CEN21LA353: Piper PA-28-181, N728A, Jeffersonville, IN, August 3, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 3, 2021, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Jeffersonville, IN - Coordinates: 38.366618, -85.738145 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3666&lon=-85.7381&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - Indianapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103628 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA353 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103628/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103628 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA353 ## Probable cause A loss of directional control due to failure of the landing gear attachment hardware for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible; cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that, while performing takeoff and landing practice, the airplane touched down normally, then began drifting to the right, and both he and the student pilot attempted to correct without success. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway, and the right main landing gear impacted a runway light and separated from the airplane. The runway light was mounted on a concrete base that protruded from the ground about 1 inch and the stanchion, which was a small pipe, broke at the threads at its base. Based on these observations, the runway light should not have resulted in complete separation of the landing gear. Examination of remnants of three of the eight bolts that secured the landing gear to the wing spar revealed fracture features consistent with overstress. The five remaining bolts were not recovered, and their failure mode could not be determined. The circumstances of the accident were consistent with a loss of directional control due to the failure of the right main landing gear attachment hardware for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. The airplane manufacturer relayed information regarding landing gear collapses on similar model airplanes, including one landing gear separation, due to fatigue and corrosion of the landing gear mounting hardware. About 7 months after this accident, the manufacturer issued a service bulletin requiring replacement of landing gear attachment hardware on various models, including the accident airplane model. ## Factual narrative On August 3, 2021, about 1115 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N728A, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that they were performing takeoff and landing practice and that the accident occurred on the sixth landing of the flight. He noted that the approach and landing were normal, with the airplane touching down on the main landing gear with the engine at idle. The airplane was slightly left of centerline and began drifting toward the right. The student and flight instructor both attempted to correct for the right drift without success, and the airplane continued off the right side of the runway. The right main landing gear impacted a runway light and separated from the airplane. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. Photos of the runway light indicated that the concrete base was about 1 inch above the surrounding ground, and the light stanchion was a small pipe threaded into a flange base. The pipe broke at the threads at the flanged base. Examination of the airplane revealed that the landing gear leg was intact and the bolts and screws securing it to the wing main spar had fractured. The landing gear is attached to the main wing spar by four screws securing it to the top spar cap, and four bolts securing it to the bottom spar cap. Four fragments from three bolts were recovered for examination. The recovered bolt remnants were examined at the NTSB Material Laboratory and exhibited fracture features consistent with overstress. The airplane manufacturer relayed information of several aircraft that had broken or corroded landing gear attachment bolts discovered during maintenance, and one that resulted in separation of the landing gear during landing roll. On March 31, 2022, the manufacturer issued Piper Service Bulletin 1375, requiring replacement of landing gear attachment hardware on select Piper model PA28 and PA32 airplanes. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N728A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N728A), registered now, S/N 2843791, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-A4M](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a4m) (registry code 42276, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2843791 - Year built: 2014 - Airframe hours: 4544.2 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: ATP Flight School - Registered owner: Meridian Aircraft LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 17, 2021, 90 hours before - Airport: JVY, Clark Rgnl, runway 36, 7,000 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 27; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 12, 2020; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 405 total, 204 in this make and model, 329 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 44 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; injuries: none; seat: left; restraint: 3-point ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 30.08 inHg - Observed at: KLOU, 9 nm away - METAR: METAR KLOU 031453Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 25/15 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP180 T02500150 50002= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210803012379A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210803012379A), Aug 3, 2021: Piper PA-28-181, Sellersburg, IN, Substantial damage. On August 3, 2021, at approximately 1030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 aircraft, N728A, exited the runway after landing at the Clark Regional… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103628. 12.9 MB in all. - Materials laboratory factual report (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 15 photos, 5.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12806676&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=21-075%20-%20Materials%20Lab%20Factual%20Report%20(CEN21LA353)-Rel.pdf - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 2, PDF, 10 pages, 4.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14684377&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Additional pilot statement (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14729437&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=SSR%20N728A%2003Aug21_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Piper SB1375 (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 709 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14683863&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=SB%201375-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 5, PDF, 3 pages, 711 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14683873&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photos-Rel.pdf - Materials lab parts return form (item 6, PDF, 2 pages, 843 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14730393&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN21LA353%20-%20Materials%20Lab%20Parts%20Return%20Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.