Incident Overview
While practicing crosswind landings, a student pilot, under the supervision of an instructor, touched down normally with approximately 5 knots of crosswind. Immediately after touchdown, the right main landing gear separated from the aircraft, resulting in substantial damage. There were no injuries and no fire.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the right main gear inboard retention bolt had failed, causing the entire right main gear assembly to separate. The bolt, identified as Piper part number 402 742, was sent for metallurgical analysis. The examination showed evidence of a progressive failure, indicating the bolt had deteriorated over time before the incident.
Damage Assessment
The separation of the landing gear led to substantial damage to the aircraft structure. Specific damage details were not provided in the source.
Safety Actions
No specific safety recommendations or actions were mentioned in the source. The investigation focused solely on the mechanical failure of the retention bolt.