- Date
- September 11, 1990, 06:15 local (10:15 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N321GBPiper PA-601P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900911038889A
- Case key
- 14774
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
A fatigue fracture of the torque link on the right landing gear strut scissor assembly.
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 felt the airplane pull right at touchdown. Combined use of flight controls, left brake and differential power reduced but did not prevent a drift off the runway. A broken torque link on the right main landing gear scissors assembly allowed the lower strut to turn out of alignment, scrubbing the right main tire sideways throughout the landing roll. There have been 17 similar failures since 1985. The manufacturer has used a redesigned link in new production since 1982 without failure. Service bulletin 746A, issued 5/86, offers a link replacement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N321GB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 629-7963287
- Airframe hours
- 2,843
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Grand Aire Express, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 13, 1990 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- RFD · Rockford, IL
- Destination
- D92 · Monroe, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- D92 · Custer, runway 21, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,681 total · 90 in this make and model · 1,621 as pilot in command · 181 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DTW, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.