On August 15, 1987, a Piper PA-60-602P (registration N6898Z) operated by Robert P. Syme was involved in an aviation accident near Ravenna, OH. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to land short of the runway, which resulted in the right main landing gear striking a hole in the grass and failing, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Aircraft touched down short of runway 27, striking a hole in the grass before the gear collapsed and the plane veered off the pavement.
What happened
The pilot reported that during a landing on runway 27, the aircraft touched down just short of the runway lip. The right main gear struck a hole in the grass approximately 25 feet before reaching the paved surface, then impacted the lip itself. Subsequently, the right main gear failed, causing the aircraft to veer off the right side of the runway and strike a runway light before coming to rest.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear following the initial impact with the terrain irregularity. Examination confirmed that the right main gear collapsed upon striking the hole in the grass and the subsequent runway lip, leading to the loss of directional control and the final impact with the runway light.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates that the aircraft landed short of the intended touchdown zone. The primary contributing factor was the failure of the right main gear after impacting a depression in the grass adjacent to the runway. This structural failure resulted in the aircraft departing the runway environment on the right side.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to land short of the runway, which resulted in the right main landing gear striking a hole in the grass and failing, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway.