Service difficulty report · Landing Gear

Difficulty date
December 28, 2016
Submitted
January 6, 2017
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N7998L
Part
Landing Gear
Part number
16981001121
Condition
Failed
Location
Left
Part time
3,246 hours
Stage of operation
LD
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

AFTER A NORMAL LANDING, MY FIXED LT MLG PARTIALLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING NEAR THE END OF ROLL-OUT WHEN AT 20-25 MPH I APPLIED RIGHT BRAKES RESULTING IN A VERY SLIGHT SIDE LOAD, AS I STARTED A SLIGHT LT TURN ON TO THE MID-FIELD TAXIWAY TO AND TERMINAL. INSTANTLY I FELT THE LT WING SINK AND MY NOSE AND RT WING RAISE AND A PULLING TO THE LT. I PUSHED THE YOKE DOWN TO LOWER THE NOSE, STOPPED BRAKING AND ABORTED MY TURN BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I WAS PULLED FURTHER LT INTO THE MUDDY GRASS APRON I COULDN'T SEE THE LANDING GEAR UNDER MY WING BUT IT FELT LIKE A BLOWN TIRE. I DON'T BELIEVE THE GEAR COMPLETELY FAILED AT THAT POINT AND STILL SUPPORTED THE LOWERED LT WING AS I HEARD NO METAL SCRAPING AND AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE RUNWAY SHOWED NO SIGN OF IMPACT OR SCRAPING ON IT. I THINK IT COMPLETELY FAILED WHEN I HIT A LARGE BOX COVERING A LANDING COUNTER JUST OFF THE RUNWAY SHORTLY AFTER WHICH THE GEAR WAS FOUND DETACHED FROM THE PLANE AND THE SKID MARKS IN THE GRASS START. THE PLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE MUDDY GRASS AND AFTER TURNING THE SWITCHES OFF.