Accident Overview
During the takeoff roll, the airplane unexpectedly veered to the left and departed the runway surface. The student pilot reported that his attempt to regain directional control using the right rudder pedal was unsuccessful. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway, spun around, and the right main landing gear collapsed.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear bolt had failed. The bolt was further examined at the NTSB metallurgical laboratory. The laboratory analysis determined that the landing gear bolt failed as a result of tensile overstress, indicating that the bolt was subjected to forces exceeding its ultimate tensile strength.
Sequence of Events
The loss of directional control began during the takeoff roll when the airplane veered left. Despite the student pilot's application of right rudder, the airplane continued to deviate from the intended path. After departing the runway, the airplane spun, and the right main gear collapsed, likely due to the bolt failure. The exact sequence of the bolt failure relative to the veer and spin was not specified, but the collapsed gear was consistent with a structural failure under load.