Event Description
The pilot was performing his third touch-and-go landing when, during the ground roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane subsequently went down on its right wing, resulting in the right wing being bent upwards and the right side of the fuselage being wrinkled.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the right main landing gear strut was conducted by a private metallurgist contracted by the insurance company. The examination revealed a preexisting fatigue fracture that extended through approximately 50 percent of the strut.
Findings
The fracture was identified as fatigue-induced, indicating that the failure was not a result of the specific maneuver but due to prior stress accumulation. No other contributing factors were noted in the source.