- Date
- August 11, 1994, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4374XPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940811021159A
- Case key
- 28822
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft resulting in a ground loop/swerve and a subsequent overload failure of the right main landing gear.
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 said he was on the landing ground roll and began applying the brakes. The aircraft started pulling to the left and the pilot could not maintain directional control with full right rudder and brake. The pilot said the aircraft began to slide and the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft was examined by an FAA airworthiness inspector who said he did not find any unusual heat signatures on the brake disks, nor any evidence of a brake system malfunction. There were no flat spots on either of the main tires and all three tires exhibited evidence of skid abrasion 90 degrees to the tread. Abrasion marks oriented 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis were observed under the right wing. The right main landing gear was collapsed with the extend/retract rod end broken and the associated support bracket ripped out of the forward spar. The nose gear strut was found bent about 15 degrees to the left. Complete continuity was established between the cockpit rudder pedals and the nose gear steering collar.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 1994, at 0930 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA28R- 200, N4374X, sustained a main landing gear collapse following a loss of directional control on landing at the Fresno, California, airport. The aircraft slid off the runway and collided with runway lights, damaging the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was on a personal cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at Carlsbad, California, on the morning of the accident at 0720 hours with an intended destination of Fresno.
In his written statement, the pilot reported that he was on the landing ground roll when he began applying the brakes. The aircraft started pulling to the left and the pilot could not maintain directional control with full right rudder and brake. The pilot stated that the aircraft began to slide and the right main gear collapsed.
The aircraft was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector from the Fresno, California, Flight Standards District Office.
The inspector reported that he did not find any unusual heat signatures on the brake disks, nor did he report any evidence of a brake system malfunction. There were no flat spots on either of the main tires and all three tires exhibited evidence of skid abrasion 90 degrees to the tread.
Abrasion marks oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis were observed under the right wing. The right main landing gear was collapsed with the extend/retract rod end broken and the associated support bracket ripped out of the forward spar.
The nose gear strut was found bent about 15 degrees to the left. Complete continuity was established between the cockpit rudder pedals and the nose gear steering collar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4374X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7635030
- Airframe hours
- 3,232
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard W. Winegarden
- Registered owner
- Richard W. Winegarden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1994 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- FAT
- Airport
- FAT · Fresno Air Terminal, runway 29L, 7,206 × 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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 430 total · 332 in this make and model · 360 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 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.