SEA98LA061

Because the wind conditions had become too challenging to continue practice landings, the pilot, who had accumulated about 35 hours in conventional gear aircraft, decided to make a full-stop landing. During the landing attempt, the aircraft hit hard, bounced back into the air, and began to drift past the lateral boundary of the runway. At that point there was a voluntary transfer of control of the aircraft to the private pilot-rated passenger, who was co-owner of the airplane. The passenger-pilot, who had approximately 180 hours of conventional gear time, elected not to execute a go-around, but instead continued down the runway and attempted a full stop landing. During that landing attempt, the aircraft hit the runway surface hard enough to damage the gear leg attach saddle, and soon after touchdown, the right gear leg folded back underneath the aircraft.

On April 9, 1998, approximately 1115 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180, N2933C, experienced a main landing gear failure during a hard landing at Roberts Field, Redmond, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft , which was owned by the pilot and the passenger, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 flight, which had been in the air for about 15 minutes, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the pilot, who had accumulated approximately 97 hours of total flying time, with 35 hours in conventional gear aircraft, he had decided to make a full-stop landing because the winds had become too strong, variable and gusty to continue practicing landings. He said that as he tried to land in the gusty conditions, the aircraft hit hard and bounced back into the air and then drifted near the lateral boundary of the runway. At that point there was a voluntary transfer of control of the aircraft to the passenger, who holds an FAA private pilot certificate, and who had accumulated approximately 215 hours of total flying time and 180 hours in conventional gear aircraft. Instead of executing a go-around, the passenger-pilot continued about 1,000 feet further down the runway and attempted to land the aircraft. According to the pilot who originally initiated the landing attempt, during the passenger-pilot's attempted touchdown, the aircraft contacted the runway very hard, and soon thereafter one of the main gear legs folded back under the fuselage.

Because the pilot reported that the aircraft had experienced a very hard landing about 40 flight hours prior to this accident, an FAA airworthiness inspector examined the area around the gear leg attach saddle, but no evidence of previous damage was found.