On June 13, 1990, a Piper AEROSTAR 601P (registration N3637F) operated by Robert N. Chester was involved in an aviation accident near Brigham City, UT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Landing gear collapse upon touchdown, resulting in the aircraft skidding off the runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft touched down short of the runway, skidded across a raised lip, and collapsed its landing gear before coming to rest on a parallel taxiway with significant structural damage.
What happened
The aircraft touched down short of the runway threshold. Upon initial contact, the plane skidded across a raised lip onto the paved surface. The aircraft then continued to slide off the left side of the runway. After crossing an open area of sand, the airplane came to rest on a parallel taxiway.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed extensive structural damage. All landing gear components were bent. Additionally, both wings and the elevator sustained bending damage consistent with the skidding sequence.
Findings
The pilot reported that the landing gear collapsed immediately upon touchdown. This failure initiated the uncontrolled slide off the runway and across the intervening terrain.
Probable cause
Landing gear collapse upon touchdown, resulting in the aircraft skidding off the runway.