Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-161 near San Angelo, TX — 2021-06-03

Final reportCEN21LA256
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Date
2021-06-03
Location
San Angelo, TX, USA
Airport
SJT
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-161
Registration
N2120J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

Inadequate maintenance of the left main landing gear strut, which resulted in a landing gear collapse.

NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that, during the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered left, which damaged the left wing. Examination of the left main landing gear strut revealed that several mounting holes were elongated, consistent with wear over an extended period, and several bolts were missing. The landing gear strut’s missing bolts and loose hardware likely resulted in the failure of the remaining fasteners to support the airplane’s weight and resulted in the landing gear collapse. Although the airplane’s maintenance records were not made available for review and the maintenance history of the landing gear could not be determined, the elongated mounting holes and missing bolts were consistent with maintenance personnel’s failure to ensure that proper torque was applied to the landing gear strut hardware.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Proper maintenance checks on landing gear could have prevented the failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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