Landing gear collapse following takeoff porpoising

Casualties unknown • Philadelphia, PA, US

An aircraft experienced a nose and right main landing gear collapse after a failed takeoff attempt and subsequent porpoising on the runway.

What happened

During the takeoff roll, the pilot encountered difficulty pitching the nose up to rotate the aircraft. The airplane subsequently became airborne but descended back onto the runway surface. Following this touchdown, the aircraft began to porpoise across the runway several times. During this sequence of oscillations, the nose and the right main landing gear collapsed.

Findings

This flight was the first operation conducted since the aircraft's annual inspection. While the pilot had verified the freedom of the flight controls prior to takeoff, he failed to verify the position of the elevator trim. Following the accident, it was determined that the elevator trim was in the full nose-down position. Furthermore, the pilot did not immediately retard the power after the aircraft returned to the runway and began porpoising.

Probable cause

The nose and right main landing gear collapsed due to the aircraft porpoising on the runway, contributed by the elevator trim being set in the full nose-down position and the pilot failing to reduce power immediately during the porpoising event.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1997-10-24 Piper PA-34-220T accident near Philadelphia, PA?

An aircraft experienced a nose and right main landing gear collapse after a failed takeoff attempt and subsequent porpoising on the runway.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1997-10-24 involved a Piper PA-34-220T, registration N8371H, operated by Morton T. Saunders, at Philadelphia, PA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The nose and right main landing gear collapsed due to the aircraft porpoising on the runway, contributed by the elevator trim being set in the full nose-down position and the pilot failing to reduce power immediately during the porpoising event.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X09110. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

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