On April 9, 2000, a Piper PA-34-200T (registration N1571X) was involved in an aviation accident near Fayetteville, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the inboard half of the right main landing gear wheel as a result of fatigue. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Upon touchdown, the airplane pulled right, exited the runway, and the landing gear collapsed. Examination revealed a fatigue fracture in the right main landing gear wheel flange.
Incident Overview
The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown, the airplane 'felt like it had a flat tire and started pulling hard right.' Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway surface, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop in an upright position.
Landing Gear Examination
Post-incident examination of the landing gear revealed that the inboard half of the right main landing gear wheel had fractured through approximately 120 degrees of the flange. The fracture surface was examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C. The examination identified striations, crack arrest positions, and ratchet marks on the fracture surface, features that are typical of fatigue propagation. However, the origin of the fatigue could not be determined due to rubber deposits covering the fracture surface.