- Date
- June 26, 2015, 06:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Show Low, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N793HHier James A Long EZ
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Part(s) separation from AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150626012629A
- Case key
- 91570
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
The right main landing gear leg fracture, which resulted in the landing gear wheel separation and a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the cruise phase of a cross country flight, the oil pressure and oil temperature indicator readings dropped to zero. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airfield. The airplane touched down on the runway and the right main landing gear leg fractured just above the wheel attachment and the wheel separated from the airplane. The main landing gear leg collapsed and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. According to the maintenance logbook entries, the right main landing gear leg had fractured at the point of a previous repair. The airplane had larger tires and brakes installed after the time of the repair to the landing gear leg. The cause of the fluctuations in the oil temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge were not the subject of this investigation. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions, aside from the gauge indications, that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the cruise phase of a cross country flight, the oil pressure and oil temperature indicator readings dropped to zero. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airfield. The airplane touched down on the runway and the right main landing gear leg fractured just above the wheel attachment and the wheel separated from the airplane. The main landing gear leg collapsed and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. According to the maintenance logbook entries, the right main landing gear leg had fractured at the point of a previous repair. The airplane had larger tires and brakes installed after the time of the repair to the landing gear leg. The cause of the fluctuations in the oil temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge was not the subject of this investigation. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions, aside from the gauge indications, that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N793H
- Reported as
- Hier James A Long EZ
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 926
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 588
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-G, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 1, 2015
- Departed
- CHD · Chandler, AZ
- Destination
- LVS · Las Vegas, NM
- Airport
- SOW · Show Low Rgnl, runway 21, 3,938 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 5, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 104 total · 2 in this make and model · 12 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KSOW
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.