On August 4, 1988, a Piper PA-30-160R (registration N7866Y) was involved in an aviation accident near Chantilly, VA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a practice landing at Front Royal Airport, a student pilot's hard landing caused a 20-foot bounce and subsequent gear damage. After a go-around and flyover confirming left main gear damage, the instructor diverted to Dulles International for a landing on two extended gears.
Incident Overview
A practice landing on Runway 27 at Front Royal Airport resulted in a hard touchdown and a bounce to approximately 20 feet. The student pilot initiated a go-around but subsequently found that the landing gear would not retract. Two flyovers of the airport confirmed that the left main landing gear had sustained damage.
Decision and Diversion
The instructor decided to fly the aircraft to Dulles International Airport, where a landing was executed on the two extended landing gears. No further abnormalities were reported during the approach and landing at Dulles.
Pilot Information
The student pilot, a certified commercial pilot, was practicing for a flight check. He had accumulated a total of 11 flight hours in this aircraft, and this was his sixth flight in it. The instructor was present throughout the flight.