What happened
The aircraft was involved in an incident during the landing phase at a narrow gravel airstrip oriented north-south with a length of approximately 1600 feet. According to the pilot, the aircraft touched down with excessive force, resulting in a hard landing. This impact caused the main landing gear assembly to collapse.
The investigation
Post-incident examination revealed that the bungee cords associated with the landing gear mechanism had fractured. The pilot noted that the absence of a safety cable allowed the gear structure to fail completely under the stress of the impact. No other mechanical failures were cited in the immediate narrative.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the damage was the hard landing itself. The structural integrity of the landing gear system was compromised by the broken bungee cords, which were not supported by a secondary safety cable as might be expected in some configurations. The short and narrow nature of the gravel strip likely contributed to the difficulty in achieving a controlled touchdown.
Safety message
Operators should ensure that all safety cables and retention mechanisms are installed and functional to prevent total gear collapse during abnormal landing impacts. Regular inspection of bungee cords is critical for maintaining landing gear reliability.