FTW95LA316

NTSB accident investigation · Gulfstream GV-1 · Englewood, CO · July 24, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 24, 1995, 13:36 local (19:36 UTC)
Place
Englewood, CO
Injuries
9 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N480UPGulfstream GV-1
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 19, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19950724048879A
Case key
19513

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

Failure of the left main landing gear strut attachment for undetermined reasons.

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.

Airframe/component/system failure/malfunctionLanding - roll
Landing gear,main gear strut - disconnectedCause
Reason for occurrence undetermined

Analysis

During landing roll/taxi, following a normal flight and landing, the left main landing gear strut disconnected and the strut penetrated the landing gear fairing box.

Factual narrative

On July 24, 1995, at 1336 mountain daylight time, a Gulfstream Aerospace GV-1, N480UP, sustained substantial damage on landing at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, when part of the left main landing gear penetrated the wing during landing/taxi. The two crew members and seven passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed for this business flight which originated in Allentown, Pennsylvania (PA).

According to the crew, the flight from Allentown, PA to their destination was uneventful. They were given a visual approach to runway 33 at Centennial Airport and the landing and taxi appeared normal; however, they noted a slight list to the left during taxi. The aircraft was parked at the AMR Combs passenger facility and the passengers disembarked normally. During post flight, the crew found damage to the left main landing gear assembly. Items incurring damage were the tires, shock strut, cables/wiring, left gear fairing box, and door fairing. It was found that the left shock strut had penetrated the gear fairing box aft of the gear well.

The left strut and right knuckle and pins were tested at the facilities of Applied Technical Services, Incorporated, Marietta, Georgia. Their report is attached and states that the most likely failure scenario is that the through bolt loosened and the pin fell out allowing the strut to move abnormal to its design function. The left knuckle and pins were not recovered.

A copy of the Applied Technical Services report was forwarded to the Board's Materials Laboratory for review. The review concurred with the report.

Aircraft

Registration
N480UP
Reported as
Gulfstream GV-1
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1054
Airframe hours
3,380
Engine
Rolls-Royce TAY 611-8, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Registered owner
Union Pacific Aviation, Co.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · March 31, 1995 · 194 hours before
Departed
ABE · Allentown, PA
Destination
APA
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
APA · Centennial Airport, runway 33, 10,002 × 101 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
54
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
9,967 total · 1,185 in this make and model · 4,850 as pilot in command · 87 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
360° at 5 knots
Visibility
30 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 39 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
APA, 1 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.