Accident Details
A pilot was delivering an airplane to a newly constructed airstrip. Before the first landing, the pilot was driven to the airstrip to inspect it. During the landing, which was made to the south, the pilot aligned the aircraft to land on the east side of the new runway. However, the airplane touched down on an unimproved portion of the airstrip. While rolling at an approximate speed of 25 knots, the landing gear encountered a swale—a feature about which the pilot had been briefed earlier. The impact caused the right main landing gear to collapse.
Investigation Findings
An investigation into the accident found that the severity of damage to the right main landing gear was inconsistent with the physical evidence at the accident site. The operator, pilot, drop zone manager, and an FAA inspector all agreed that the landing gear failure was not the direct result of striking a low rise of soft dirt at low speed. A review of the aircraft's records revealed no previous accident history or damage that could have led to the failure. Ultimately, the reason for the failure of the right main landing gear could not be verified.