Piper PA-24-260 N73T

Summary

On 27 April 2022 at about 17:25 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N73T was involved in an accident near Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 April 2022 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Terre Haute, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Terre Haute Regional Airport (HUF)

Coordinates

39.4562, -87.3018

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N73T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Terre Haute → Terre Haute

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA184

Nobody was injured.

A hard landing, which resulted in the failure of the right main landing gear outer bearing and collapse of the landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the baggage door opened shortly after takeoff, so he decided to return for a landing. The landing gear circuit breaker tripped when he attempted to extend the landing gear on downwind. After resetting the circuit breaker, the landing gear extended normally, and the gear down light illuminated. Upon landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. An examination of the landing gear determined the outer bearing brace failed which allowed the landing gear strut to separate from the trunnion. Examination of the fracture surface revealed that the bearing failed as a result of overload. The overload failure of the landing gear bearing was consistent with a hard landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.