Event Description
During takeoff from the originating airport, the pilot reported feeling a slight impact on the right main landing gear approximately halfway down the runway. The takeoff was continued, and the airplane lifted off normally. When the pilot attempted to retract the landing gear, it would not retract. The flight proceeded uneventfully to the destination airport. During landing on the damaged right main landing gear, it immediately collapsed.
Witness Accounts
According to the airport manager at the originating airport, the airplane "seemed to use all of the available runway." A second witness stated that the airplane used the entire runway and struck a 2-foot-high berm at the end, noting, "It was the berm that put him into the air." A passenger aboard the airplane stated that the airplane lifted off about two-thirds of the way down the runway and that they heard a "kabang" at the same time as the liftoff.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right main landing gear forward retainer assembly and retaining bolt were sheared. When viewed from the face of the shear point, the forward retainer showed evidence of a significant impact that drove the landing gear rearward.