On March 26, 1986, a Piper PA-34-200T (registration N2889M) operated by Air Evac Ems, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Salem, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The collapse of the right main landing gear during the landing roll, for which no pre-accident mechanical defects were found in the examined components. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft experienced a main landing gear collapse shortly after touchdown on a short asphalt runway. The pilot reported the impact was firm but not hard, and the gear failed approximately 300 feet down the runway.
What happened
The aircraft was operating on a paved runway measuring 2,050 feet in length and 100 feet in width. During the landing phase, the pilot reported that the touchdown force was firm but not excessively hard. The aircraft continued its ground roll for approximately 300 feet after making contact with the pavement before the right main landing gear assembly collapsed.
The investigation
Following the incident, the operator removed the broken components from the landing gear assembly for detailed examination. A thorough inspection of these parts was conducted to determine the nature of the failure. The analysis revealed no evidence of pre-accident damage or mechanical defects that would have contributed to the collapse prior to the event.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the structural failure of the right main landing gear during the initial phase of the ground roll. The investigation found no signs of prior wear, fatigue, or damage to the removed components that would explain the sudden collapse. The failure occurred immediately following a normal touchdown sequence on a relatively short runway surface.
Probable cause
The collapse of the right main landing gear during the landing roll, for which no pre-accident mechanical defects were found in the examined components.