What happened
The pilot reported that during the initial phase of takeoff, the right main landing gear made contact with a large dog that had entered the runway. Despite the impact and resulting damage to the aircraft's undercarriage, the decision was made to continue the departure rather than aborting on the runway.
After leaving the airport airspace, the pilot circled the area for approximately two hours. This extended period in the air was necessary to burn off excess fuel, ensuring a safer landing profile given the compromised landing gear configuration. The pilot subsequently performed a landing with both the nose gear and the left main landing gear retracted.
The investigation
The collision with the animal resulted in structural failure of the right landing gear assembly. The gear was broken as a direct consequence of the impact, necessitating the emergency landing procedure described above.
Findings
- Right main landing gear broke due to collision with a dog on the runway during takeoff.
- Fuel exhaustion risk was mitigated by circling for two hours before landing.
- Landing was executed with nose gear and left main gear retracted.