# NTSB CHI04LA199: Rockwell 114, N114TS, Grand Rapids, MI, July 29, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 28, 2004, 20:47 local (Jul 29, 2004, 00:47 UTC) - Place: Grand Rapids, MI - Coordinates: 42.880832, -85.522781 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8808&lon=-85.5228&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 24, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 59800 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI04LA199 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59800/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA199 ## Probable cause The right main landing gear failed as a result of the fatigue fracture due to the casting defect (inclusion) during the manufacture process. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Main gear collapsed, landing - roll - landing gear,normal retraction/extension assembly - failure,total (cause) - landing gear,normal retraction/extension assembly - fatigue (cause) - aircraft/equipment inadequate, manufacturer (cause) ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage when the right main landing gear collapsed during landing rollout. The pilot reported that he flew a stabilized full flaps approach with all three green landing gear lights illuminated. He reported that the main landing gear touched down smoothly but when the nose wheel touched down, the right wing started to drop. The pilot kept the right wing up as long as possible, but it settled to the runway when the airspeed slowed. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the upper side brace of the right main landing gear (p/n 45304-2) was fractured through the upper arm at approximately mid-length. An inspection of the fracture surfaces revealed that at one corner of the surface, there was a black region approximately 0.2 inch by 0.2 inch in size. The black region was a casting defect (inclusion). A dark gray region below the casting defect was observed by the use of a scanning electron microscope. The lack of ductile dimples, the multiple ratcheting marks, the difference in color, the fracture plane angle, and the flatness of features at the origin area indicate that the dark gray region below the casting defect was consistent with fatigue cracking. The casting defect region and the fatigue region together consumed approximately 10% of the cross-sectional area of the upper side brace." A search of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Service Difficulty Reporting System (SDRS) was made for similar reported failures. There were no records pertaining to the Rockwell 114 main landing gear side brace for part numbers 45304-2 or 45306-2. ## Factual narrative On July 28, 2004, at 2047 eastern daylight time, a Rockwell 114, N114TS, sustained substantial damage when the right main landing gear collapsed during landing rollout on runway 26R (5,000 feet by 100 feet, concrete) at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), Grand Rapids, Michigan. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91personal flight departed Fond du Lac County Airport (FLD), Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with GRR as the final destination. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he flew a stabilized full flaps approach to runway 26 with all three green landing gear lights illuminated. He reported that the main landing gear touched down smoothly but when the nose wheel touched down, the right wing started to drop. The pilot kept the right wing up as long as possible, but it settled onto the runway when the airspeed slowed. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the upper side brace of the right main landing gear was broken in half. The failed part was removed from the airplane and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for metallurgical inspection. The NTSB Materials Lab examined the fractured right main landing gear upper side brace (p/n 45304-2) and the intact lower side brace (p/n 45305-2). The landing gear brace was fractured through the upper arm at approximately mid-length. An inspection of the fracture surfaces revealed that at one corner of the surface, there was a black region approximately 0.2 inch by 0.2 inch in size. The black region was a casting defect (inclusion). A dark gray region below the casting defect was observed by the use of a scanning electron microscope. The lack of ductile dimples, the multiple ratcheting marks, the difference in color, the fracture plane angle, and the flatness of features at the origin area indicate that the dark gray region below the casting defect was consistent with fatigue cracking. The casting defect region and the fatigue region together consumed approximately 10% of the cross-sectional area of the upper side brace. A search of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Service Difficulty Reporting System (SDRS) was made for similar reported failures. There were no records pertaining to the Rockwell 114 main landing gear side brace for part numbers 45304-2 or 45306-2. The airplane, s/n 14367, was manufactured in 1978 and had a total tachometer time of 2,684 hours. The last annual inspection was conducted on June 2, 2004, and it had flown 14 hours since the annual inspection. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N114TS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N114TS-2018-03-30), registration cancelled 2018-03-30, S/N 14367, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Rockwell 114 - Registry model: [Rockwell International 114](https://openairdocs.org/model/rockwell-international-114) (registry code 7630314) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 14367 - Airframe hours: 2684 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Commander Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 2, 2004, 14 hours before - Departed: FLD, Fond du Lac, WI - Destination: GRR, Grand Rapids, MI - Airport: GRR, Gerald R. Ford International, runway 26R, 5,000 × 100 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 29, 2003; seat: front; flight hours: 992 total, 155 in this make and model, 992 as pilot in command, 7 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: GRR ## 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 20040728017549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040728017549A), Jul 28, 2004: Gulstm 114, Grand Rapids, MI, Substantial damage. (-23) Aircraft enroute from wittman regional airport (osh) to grr on 7/28/04. Landed on runway 26 at grr airport approximately at 20:45 hours. During roll out… 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.