ATR 42 N421MQ
3 April 1996 · Traverse City, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 3 April 1996 at about 18:38 local time, a ATR 42 registered N421MQ was involved in an incident near Traverse City, Michigan, United States. 36 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:38
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Cherry Capital (TVC)
- Coordinates
- 44.7598, -85.6998
- Aircraft
- ATR 42
- Registration
- N421MQ
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Chicago → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI96IA125
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Probable cause
improper use of procedures by maintenance personnel at an overhaul facility during overhaul of the landing gear, allowing corrosion to occur on the barrel lugs of the landing gear, which subsequently led to fatigue cracking of the lugs and eventual collapse of the gear.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During landing rollout, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft skidded to a stop. Examination of the landing gear revealed that the barrel lugs (used to attach the swinging lever to the main landing gear barrel) had failed. The fracture of the outboard lower lug exhibited clam shell marks typical of a fatigue crack. The fatigue crack emanated from a corrosion pit in the bore of the lug. The four bushings for the lower lugs of the barrel (replaced during overhaul) did not have the proper interference fit. The bushings did not have the proper applications of corrosion preventative applied to the surface of the bushings. Primer paint had not been applied during overhaul, and Mastinox was used instead of the wet primer that the manufacturer's procedures specified. During the course of the investigation, nine landing gears (with various numbers of total cycles since overhaul or manufacture) were inspected. The inspections revealed torn or missing rubber sealant used on bushing flanges, corrosion in the lug bores, and corrosion on the lug faces.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other ATR 42 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Nov 1996 | ATR 42 | Covington, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1995 | ATR 42 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2002 | ATR 42-500 | Caratagena, Colombia | Aces | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug 1996 | Aeronca 11AC | Charlotte, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Hartford, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Grosse Ile, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Sep 1996 | Taylorcraft BC-12D | Bellaire, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Aug 1996 | Cessna 150M | Traverse City, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1996 | Piper J3C-65 | Grosse Ile, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |