- Date
- July 14, 1998, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N56WCessna 190
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980714027089A
- Case key
- 43081
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
improper procedures used during the replacement of the landing gear which resulted in pitting and corrosion of the gear spring.
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 reported he made a 'normal gentle 3 point landing' and during the landing roll the left main gear collapsed. Inspection of the airplane revealed rust and deep pitting on the fractured surface. The gear was replaced three years prior to the accident; however, this was the first flight since the gear was replaced.
Factual narrative
On July 14, 1998, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 190, N56W, operated by a commercial pilot experienced a left main gear collapse during a landing roll on runway 27R, at the Oakland County Airport, Pontiac, Michigan. The pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from the Detroit Metro Airport, Detroit, Michigan, at 1330 eastern daylight time.
The pilot reported he made a "normal gentle 3 point landing" and during the landing roll the left main gear collapsed. He reported the airplane was traveling approximately 15 mph when the gear collapse took place. He reported, "Aircraft had gear replaced and blasted and painted three years or so earlier. ... Aircraft had not been flown in over three years since gear work was done."
The airplane was inspected by an Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration Belleville, Michigan, Flight Standards District Office. He reported the landing gear spring had separated at the support wedge. Inspection of the failed spring surface revealed an area of rust. The spring also contained "deep pitting on the upper surface in the area of the fracture." This assembly appeared to have been recently painted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56W
- Reported as
- Cessna 190
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7952
- Airframe hours
- 3,085
- Engine
- Jacobs R755B2, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Scott Equipment Company, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 1998
- Departed
- DET · Detroit, MI
- Destination
- PTK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PTK · Oakland Int'L, runway 27R, 5,000 × 100 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
- 65
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,650 total · 100 in this make and model · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.