On January 25, 1983, a Smith, Ted Aerostar 600 AEROSTAR (registration N9759Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Philadelphia, PA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The left main landing gear scissors failed above the hinge bolt as a result of overload. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft veered left during touchdown and departed the runway when the left main landing gear collapsed. Investigation found that the left main gear scissors had failed due to overload above the hinge bolt.
Event Description
During the landing roll, the aircraft veered off the runway. The weather at the time of the landing was visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The pilot had performed a normal landing gear extension prior to touchdown and observed no anomalies. As the main wheels contacted the runway, the aircraft deviated to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the direction by applying appropriate controls. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft departed the paved surface.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the left main landing gear assembly revealed that the scissors had failed above the hinge bolt. The failure was consistent with overload. The collapse of the landing gear directly preceded the aircraft's departure from the runway.
Probable cause
The left main landing gear scissors failed above the hinge bolt as a result of overload.