What happened
During a routine flight operation involving a touch-and-go landing, the aircraft experienced a critical mechanical failure in the landing gear system. As the airplane rotated for liftoff, the piston rod of the right main gear oleo strut extended completely beyond its tube. This extension effectively disconnected the wheel from the airframe, causing it to fall into a trailing position behind the fuselage rather than retracting or remaining supported.
The pilot maintained control and executed a full-stop landing utilizing only the left main gear and the tail wheel. The aircraft came to a halt safely on the runway without further incident to the airframe structure beyond the gear failure itself.
The investigation
Examination of the failed oleo assembly revealed that the piston retaining pin, which connects the rod, had sheared due to compressive forces. Further inspection of the oleo components indicated signs of previous damage and general wear on various parts of the assembly. Notably, the O-ring seal within the unit was found to be newer than the surrounding worn components, suggesting recent maintenance or replacement activity that may not have addressed the underlying structural fatigue.
Findings
The failure was attributed to the shearing of the oleo piston retaining pin under compression during the high-stress phase of takeoff. Contributing factors included visible wear and prior damage to the oleo assembly components.