On July 15, 1982, a Piper PA-30-160 (registration N7047Y) operated by Midway Shell was involved in an aviation accident near Salem, IL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft's landing gear collapsed during the landing roll. The pilot reported three green gear lights. Investigation found a defective landing gear control switch collar that may have caused the gear to retract.
Incident Description
The pilot reported that the landing gear indicators showed three green lights. During touchdown and the subsequent landing roll, the landing gear collapsed.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that the landing gear control switch collar was defective. If the pilot did not manually hold the gear selector in the down position, it may have returned to the off position before the gear was locked down. This scenario could account for the gear collapsing under the weight of the aircraft during landing.
It was not determined how long this defective condition had existed. Additionally, the switch may have been installed upside down, requiring the handle to be pulled out to place the gear in the down position.