What happened
The incident occurred when a pilot elected to divert from a prepared landing strip due to strong crosswind conditions. Instead of continuing or holding for improved weather, the pilot chose to land in an adjacent open field. Upon touchdown, the right main landing gear encountered a hole in the terrain. This impact broke the mounting structure and caused the gear to collapse. The loss of structural support led to a ground loop.
The investigation
Post-incident examination confirmed that the right main landing gear had failed due to the impact with a hole on the field surface. The mounting structure was broken, resulting in the collapse of the gear assembly. No mechanical failure of the aircraft prior to touchdown was identified as a contributing factor.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to this accident were the strong crosswind conditions at the prepared strip and the decision to land in an unimproved area. The pilot acknowledged that avoiding unknown, unimproved landing areas would prevent such mishaps in the future. The terrain feature (the hole) was a significant hazard that could not be anticipated without prior knowledge of the field.
Safety message
Pilots should exercise extreme caution when diverting to unprepared fields due to weather or other factors. Unknown terrain hazards, such as holes or uneven ground, pose a severe risk to landing gear integrity and aircraft controllability.