Accident Piper PA-23 Apache N1460P,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 281845
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Saturday 27 February 2021
Time:11:30 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA23 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-23 Apache
Owner/operator:Aviation Services LLC
Registration: N1460P
MSN: 23-523
Year of manufacture:1956
Total airframe hrs:8496 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-A3B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Oshkosh-Wittman Field, WI (OSH/KOSH) -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Training
Departure airport:Oshkosh-Wittman Field, WI (OSH/KOSH)
Destination airport:Oshkosh-Wittman Field, WI (OSH/KOSH)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The instructional flight included numerous landing gear extension and retraction cycles. During the flight, the nose landing gear indication showed that the gear was in the down and locked position but then indicated that the gear was in the unsafe position. The flight instructor performed several touch-and-go landings to 'lightly move” the nosewheel into the down-and-locked position. According to the flight instructor, the contact with the runway pavement was 'firm enough” to indicate that the nose landing gear was down and locked. After touching down on the accident landing, the airplane began yawing to the right with an 'unusual noise.” The application of left brake prevented the airplane from leaving the runway pavement; however, the nose landing gear collapsed during the rollout.

The substantial airframe damage precluded functional testing of the nose landing gear. Visual examination revealed that the nose landing gear lower drag link was fractured. Metallurgical examination revealed the presence of fatigue cracking in the wrought material and a lack of fusion in the welded areas.

Although postaccident examination of the actuator arm determined that it was fully extended at the time the nosegear collapsed, it is likely that the nose gear was not fully extended before landing. The lack of full extension compromised the nosewheel steering system and affected directional control during the rollout.

The subsequent failure of the landing gear link resulted in the collapse of the nose gear. The extent to which the fatigue and lack of fusion had compromised the structural integrity of the link before the accident flight could not be determined from the available information.


Probable Cause: The failure of the nose landing gear lower drag link for reasons that could not be determined based on available information, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN21LA147
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 5 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CEN21LA147

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-Aug-2022 18:59 ASN Update Bot Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org