# NTSB ERA18LA226: Piper PA28, N8314W, Thomaston, GA, July 4, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 4, 2018, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC) - Place: Thomaston, GA - Coordinates: 32.9575, -84.267776 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9575&lon=-84.2678&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 10, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 98128 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA18LA226 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98128/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98128 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA226 ## Probable cause A landing gear axle nut being pulled from the threads of the axle rod at an unknown time, which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: nose/tail gear strut/axle](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023222): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023222/cases.md?model=7102808), [All aircraft, 36 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023222/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 41 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=7102808), [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-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=7102808), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 38 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=7102808), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot performed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted before the cross-country flight. He made a full-stop landing at an airport before flying to the destination airport. He configured the airplane for final approach. The main landing gear touched down, but when the nose landing gear contacted the runway, the airplane veered left. The pilot attempted to counteract the turn by applying rudder; however, the airplane continued to the left side of the runway. The right wing tip touched the pavement, the propeller struck the runway, and the nose landing gear wheel separated as the airplane continued off the runway. The airplane came to rest about 75 ft off the left side of the runway in a grassy area. The rod that attached the nosewheel to the nosewheel assembly remained connected to the nose landing gear fork; however, the rod was bent, and one of the nuts that secured the nosewheel to the rod was missing. Further examination revealed that the rod was threaded on both ends; one end had a nut attached, while the other end had bare threads that had been deformed in a manner consistent with the nut having been pulled off the threads. The missing nut was not located on the runway. The airplane had landed over 250 times between the most recent annual inspection and the accident. The location of the missing nut could not be seen during the preflight inspection because the area is covered by the wheel fairing. It could not be determined when the nut was pulled from the axle rod. ## Factual narrative On July 4, 2018, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N8314W, was substantially damaged while landing at Thomaston-Upson County Airport (OPN), Thomaston, Georgia. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated from Griffin-Spalding County Airport (6A2), Griffin, Georgia, around 0830. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane with no anomalies noted. After departure, he completed one full stop landing at 6A2, before departing for OPN. While on final approach to runway 12, he configured the airplane for landing and lined up with the centerline of the runway. The main landing gear touched down on the runway numbers, and when the nose landing gear contacted the runway, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot attempted to counteract the turn by applying rudder, however, the airplane continued to the left side of the runway. The right-wing tip touched the pavement, the propeller struck the runway, and the nose landing gear wheel separated as the airplane continued off the runway. The airplane came to rest about 75 ft off the left side of runway in a grassy area. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector after the accident revealed that an engine mount was substantially damaged, and the nose landing gear and right wing incurred minor damage during the accident sequence. The rod that attached the nose wheel to the nose landing gear assembly remained in the nose wheel fork and was bent. However, a nut that secured the nose wheel onto the rod of the nose wheel fork was not located. The runway was searched, and it was still not located. According to FAA airworthiness records, the airplane was manufactured in 1965 and was purchased by the pilot in November 2017. It was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180-horsepower engine equipped with a Sensenich fixed pitch propeller. According to airplane maintenance logbooks, the most recent annual inspection was completed on November 10, 2017, at a total time of 2,599.2 hours. The landing gear wheel attachment part was sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for examination. The examination revealed that the part was a 3/8-inch rod threaded on both ends. One end had a nut attached and the other end exhibited bare threads. Further review of the threads revealed that they had been deformed in a manner consistent with the nut having been pulled off the threads. According to the FAA Inspector, the nose wheel had not been removed since the annual inspection and the airplane had over 250 landings since the last maintenance on the nose gear tire. According to the pilot, the nut that secures the nose wheel to the rod and fork assembly, that was not located, cannot be seen during a preflight inspection since it was covered by a wheelfairing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8314W](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8314W), registered now, S/N 28-2487, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA28 (180) - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-180](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (registry code 7102808) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-2487 - Year built: 1965 - Airframe hours: 2599.2 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A3A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 10, 2017 - Departed: 6A2, Griffin, GA - Destination: OPN, Thomaston, GA - Airport: OPN, Thomaston-Upson County, runway 12, 6,350 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 47; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 75 total, 75 in this make and model, 39.7 as pilot in command, 69.8 in the last 90 days, 40.5 in the last 30 days, 2.4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,000 ft broken - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: OPN ## 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 20180704015819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180704015819A), Jul 4, 2018: Piper PA-28-180, Thomaston, GA, Substantial damage. On July 4 2018, I preflighted the aircraft while at 6A2 griffin ga. Departed griffin on runway 14 at 8:58AM eastern time. I did a practice mis approach on 14… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98128. 8.6 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 5.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484392&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Pilot Interview Summary (item 2, .PDF, 130 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484393&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Interview%20Summary-Master.PDF - Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Statement (item 3, .PDF, 127 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484394&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20FAA%20Inspector%20Statement-Master.PDF - Airframe Maintenance Log Excerpts (item 4, .PDF, 183 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484395&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Airframe%20Maintenance%20Log%20Excerpts-Master.PDF - NTSB Materials Lab Report (item 5, .PDF, 199 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484396&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Materials%20Lab%20Report-Master.PDF - Investigative Photographs (item 6, .PDF, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484397&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs-Master.PDF - Evidence Control Form - Nose Wheel Bolt Assembly (item 7, .PDF, 79 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40484398&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Evidence%20Control%20Form%20-%20Nose%20Wheel%20Bolt%20Assembly-Master.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.