Incident Details
During a round-robin flight, the pilot experienced an unsafe gear problem after takeoff but continued to the next airport. On the subsequent climb out, the gear problem recurred. The pilot resolved the issue by cycling the landing gear several times en route and then performed two additional landings without further incident.
The following day, the pilot again operated the aircraft and reported two instances of gear problems. Despite these indications, the pilot conducted four touch-and-go landings. The aircraft was then returned to its base.
Discovery
A fixed base operator, who later inspected the aircraft, discovered damage to the landing gear. The operator informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the finding. The hobbs meter and tachometer readings matched the times recorded during the pilot's checkout flights.
Findings
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the right main landing gear had sustained overload damage. The extent of the damage was consistent with repeated stress beyond design limits.