On July 1, 2001, a Piper PA-22 (registration N3251Z) was involved in an aviation accident near Lewistown, MT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft while landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported that shortly after departure, the airplane settled back onto the runway. After an aborted takeoff, the aircraft veered right, spun around, and the left main gear collapsed, coming to rest in a wheat field.
Incident Overview
The pilot of an airplane reported that shortly after departing from the runway, the aircraft settled back onto the runway surface. The pilot then attempted to maneuver the airplane back into the air; however, the airplane again began to settle back toward the runway. At that point, the pilot aborted the takeoff.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, when the aircraft touched down during the aborted takeoff, it veered to the right. The pilot stated that when he applied the brakes, the airplane "spun around" and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane subsequently came to rest in a wheat field adjacent to the departure runway.
Aircraft Damage
The left main gear collapsed during the event. No further details regarding other damage were provided in the report.