What happened
The aircraft was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and successfully touched down on the runway. Shortly after landing, tower personnel contacted the pilot via radio to ask if he could make the first available taxiway turnoff. Immediately following this exchange, the right main landing gear collapsed.
The investigation
investigators conducted a detailed examination of the failed components. The failure originated in the landing gear rod assembly, specifically part number 0840125-15. A metallurgical analysis was performed on the fractured surface of the rod to determine the nature of the failure.
Findings
The metallurgical examination provided clear evidence regarding the cause of the structural failure. The results indicated that the rod assembly failed due to overload. Crucially, the analysis found no evidence of fatigue in the material, ruling out progressive crack growth or material degradation as primary factors. The failure appears to have been a sudden event rather than the result of long-term wear.
Safety message
This incident highlights the importance of structural integrity in landing gear components. While overload can occur due to excessive forces during landing operations, the absence of fatigue suggests that routine inspection protocols must also account for potential single-event overloads or manufacturing defects that might not show typical fatigue patterns.