# NTSB CHI07LA056: Piper PA-24-260B, N9284P, Belleville, IL, December 28, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 28, 2006, 16:12 local (22:12 UTC) - Place: Belleville, IL - Coordinates: 38.552776, -89.836112 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5528&lon=-89.8361&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 28, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - St. Louis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65208 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI07LA056 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65208/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07LA056 ## Probable cause The failure of the torque link bolt which resulted in the right main landing gear strut scissors separating and becoming jammed in the wheel well. Contributing to the accident was the seized torque link bolt due to surface corrosion. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, descent - miscellaneous,bolt/nut/fastener/clamp/spring - corroded (contributing factor) - miscellaneous,bolt/nut/fastener/clamp/spring - seized (contributing factor) - miscellaneous,bolt/nut/fastener/clamp/spring - sheared (cause) - landing gear,main gear strut scissors - separation (cause) - landing gear,main gear strut - jammed (cause) - Wheels up landing, landing - terrain condition - grass ## Analysis The pilot reported that after takeoff he selected landing gear-up, but the corresponding position light did not illuminate. He checked the landing gear motor circuit breaker and found it tripped. The pilot was unable to get the landing gear to fully extend or retract during subsequent attempts. The destination airport control tower verified that the landing gear was not fully extended during a fly-by after the pilot had attempted an emergency landing gear extension. The pilot decided to retract the landing gear as much as possible and perform a wheels-up landing in a grass area adjacent to a runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to a fuselage bulkhead during landing. Inspection of the airplane showed that the right main landing gear was partially extended with its wheel and lower strut assembly rotated in the wheelwell. The bolt that attached the upper and lower portions of the torque link assembly was sheared in half. The lower torque link was jammed against the wheelwell structure, which restricted the movement of the entire landing gear assembly. The bolt fracture features were consistent with shear overstress, as a result of torsion during the action of the torque link assembly. The bolt fracture face did not contain any evidence of fatigue cracking. The separated bolt sections were seized within the upper and lower torque links, as a result of surface corrosion. ## Factual narrative On December 28, 2006, at 1612 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-260B (Comanche), piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged while landing at Scott AFB/MidAmerica Airport (BLV), Belleville, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Piatt County Airport (2K0), Monticello, Illinois, at 1507. The pilot reported that after takeoff he selected landing gear-up, but the corresponding position light did not illuminate. He checked the landing gear motor circuit breaker and found it tripped. He selected landing gear-down and reset the circuit breaker. The landing gear did not fully extend, as indicated by the position of the emergency extension handle and the position lights. The pilot again attempted to retract the landing gear, but it only retracted about 90-percent before the landing gear motor circuit breaker tripped. The pilot decided to continue to BLV where he planned to perform an emergency landing gear extension prior to landing. As the airplane neared BLV, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear without success using the normal extension procedure. He then proceeded with the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The pilot was unable to get the landing gear to fully extend or retract during subsequent attempts. The control tower verified that the landing gear was not fully extended during a fly-by. The pilot decided to retract the landing gear as much as possible and perform a wheels-up landing in the grass area adjacent to runway 14. The airplane sustained substantial damage to a fuselage bulkhead during landing. Inspection of the airplane showed that the left main and nose landing gear were completely retracted into their respective wheelwells. The right main landing gear was partially extended with its wheel and lower strut assembly rotated in the wheelwell. The AN174-13 bolt (p/n 402-313) that attached the upper and lower portions of the torque link assembly (p/n 20735-03) was sheared in half. The lower torque link was jammed against the wheelwell structure, which restricted the movement of the entire landing gear assembly. The torque link assembly and bolt were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for further examination. The bolt fracture features were consistent with shear overstress, as a result of torsion during the action of the torque link assembly. The bolt fracture face did not contain any evidence of fatigue cracking. The separated bolt sections were seized within the upper and lower torque links, as a result of surface corrosion. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9284P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9284P), registered now, S/N 24-4784, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-24-260B - Registry model: [Piper PA-24-260](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-260) (registry code 7102406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540-D4A5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-d4a5) (registry code 41798, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-4784 - Airframe hours: 5228 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-C4D5D 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 1, 2006 - Departed: 2K0, Monticello, IL - Destination: BLV, Belleville, IL - Airport: BLV, Scott AFB/Mid America Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 2,128 total, 543 in this make and model, 1,856 as pilot in command, 14 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 11 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Temperature: 46 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.14 inHg - Observed at: BLV ## 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 20061228029269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061228029269A), Dec 28, 2006: Piper PA24260, Belleville, IL, Substantial damage. (-23) The flight originated at piatt county airport, monticello, IL (2K0) enroute to mid-america airport, mascoutah, IL (kblv). The pilot stated that it took… ## Other investigations on N9284P (1) 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. - [NTSB FTW72DRG19](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW72DRG19), Aug 15, 1971: Piper PA-24 (N9284P), Trincheras, Mexico, substantial damage 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.