On May 15, 1999, a Piper PA-30 (registration N8055Y) was involved in an aviation accident near Brooksville, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The certified flight instructor's failure to recover from a porpoise during landing and his failure to maintain directional control. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During landing, a training flight experienced porpoising and ballooning. The instructor took over; on the second attempt, the right main gear collapsed, causing wing and propeller strikes, and the aircraft exited the runway.
Incident Overview
A flight instructor and a private pilot completed an uneventful flight to their destination. Upon touchdown on the runway, the airplane porpoised, ballooned, and yawed to the left, with the left wing low and the nose in a nose-high attitude. The instructor then assumed control of the aircraft.
Second Landing Attempt
During the subsequent landing attempt, the right main landing gear collapsed. As a result, the right wing and propeller struck the runway surface. The airplane subsequently departed the left edge of the runway at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
Pilot Reports
The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to or during the flight.