What happened
The incident occurred during an aircraft rental and insurance evaluation. An ATP-rated check pilot served as the pilot-in-command, evaluating a commercial pilot for these specific purposes. Both individuals possessed significant experience operating this particular airplane type.
During the landing phase, the commercial pilot touched down on the grass area situated between the runway and the taxiway rather than on the paved surface. As the aircraft rolled out across this unpaved terrain, the left main landing gear struck a large rock embedded in the ground. The impact caused the left main gear to separate completely from the airframe.
Following the gear separation, the left wing and the propeller made contact with the ground. The airplane continued to slide forward for approximately 300 feet before it turned 90 degrees to the left and eventually came to a complete stop.
The investigation
The factual narrative indicates that the primary mechanical failure was the separation of the left main landing gear. This structural detachment was directly attributed to the gear striking a large rock during the rollout phase on grass. No other mechanical anomalies were noted in the provided source text.
Findings
Several contributing factors led to the damage sustained by the aircraft:
- The commercial pilot landed the airplane on grass between the runway and taxiway instead of the paved runway surface.
- The left main landing gear struck a large rock during rollout, causing it to separate from the airplane.
- Subsequent ground contact occurred with the left wing and propeller, resulting in significant damage to those components.
- The aircraft slid 300 feet before turning 90 degrees to the left and halting.