FTW97LA368

According to the pilot, a normal wheel landing was made. When the airplane touched down, the right main landing gear broke off and struck the leading edge and bottom surface of the right wing. The airplane slid off the right side of the runway and ground looped. Metallurgical examination of the fractured strut disclosed 'fatigue from multiple sites on the bottom surface in the bend radius outboard of (where it attaches to the fuselage).' There was 'no obvious mechanical damage/corrosion damage.' The left landing gear also exhibited 'cracks in the same area and on the inboard side of the clamp.' The landing gear was replaced on January 14, 1984, at a total service time of 1,390 hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued 3,624 hours, a difference of 2,234 hours.

On September 19, 1997, approximately 1420 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, N88314, operated by Barnstormers Aero Services, Inc., was substantially damaged during a touch and go landing at Englewood, Colorado. The airline transport-rated pilot in command and a private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Englewood approximately 1400.

According to the pilot in command's accident report, the pilot receiving instruction (who was seated in the front seat) made a normal wheel landing on runway 28 at Centennial Airport. When the airplane touched down, the right main landing gear broke off and struck the leading edge and bottom surface of the right wing. The airplane eventually slid off the right side of the runway onto the grass and groundlooped, causing additional damage to the right wing tip.

The fractured right main landing gear strut and intact left main landing gear strut were sent to NTSB's metallurgical laboratory for examination. According to the metallurgist, the failure was "definitely fatigue from multiple sites on the bottom surface in the bend radius outboard (where it attaches to the fuselage)." There was "no obvious mechanical damage/corrosion damage." The left strut also exhibited "cracks in the same area and on the inboard side of the clamp."

The airplane maintenance records disclosed the landing gear had been replaced on January 14, 1984, at a total service time of 1,390 hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued 3,624 hours, a difference of 2,234 hours.