On October 5, 1986, a Piper PA-24-250 (registration N5980P) was involved in an aviation accident near Seward, NE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and subsequent collapse of the right main landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A light aircraft drifted left during landing on a narrow private grass strip, striking thick vegetation with the left wing and causing the right main landing gear to collapse.
What happened
The pilot was conducting a landing operation on a private grass airstrip measuring 1600 feet in length and 60 feet in width. Upon touchdown, the aircraft began to drift toward the left side of the runway surface. The pilot noted that the vegetation along the edges of the strip was significantly thicker than the grass covering the center portion of the landing area.
As the aircraft continued its ground roll, the left wing made contact with the dense growth lining the left edge of the strip. This impact caused the aircraft to swerve sharply to the left. The sudden lateral movement and stress resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and subsequent collapse of the right main landing gear.
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