On June 13, 2000, a Piper PA-20 (registration N7451K) was involved in an aviation accident near Quincy, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The separation of the landing gear shock absorber end fitting from the gear strut, which led to the collapse of the left main landing gear during takeoff. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
The left main landing gear failed during acceleration on takeoff, causing the wingtip to strike the ground and the aircraft to ground loop.
What happened
During the takeoff roll, the airplane accelerated normally until reaching approximately 40 miles per hour. At this speed, the left main landing gear collapsed unexpectedly. As the gear failed, the left wingtip dropped and made contact with the runway surface. The loss of support on the left side caused the aircraft to pivot sharply, resulting in a ground loop.
The investigation
Following the incident, investigators examined the landing gear assembly to determine the cause of the failure. The inspection revealed that the shock absorber end fitting had fractured and separated from the gear strut at the attachment point. This structural failure was identified as the primary reason for the collapse of the left main gear during the high-speed phase of the takeoff roll.
Probable cause
The separation of the landing gear shock absorber end fitting from the gear strut, which led to the collapse of the left main landing gear during takeoff.