On July 2, 2003, a Cessna 140 (registration N89360) was involved in an aviation accident near Ludington, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The maintenance personnel's improper installation of the landing gear axle, which resulted in the separation of the axle from the landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During the landing roll, the left main gear axle separated, the gear leg dropped into a pavement hole, causing the airplane to nose down and strike the propeller, coming to rest tail-up.
Event Description
During the landing roll, the airplane's left main landing gear axle separated from the gear assembly. Subsequently, the left main gear leg dropped into a hole in the pavement. This caused the airplane to nose down, resulting in a propeller strike. The pilot reported that the airplane slid to a stop and came to rest in a tail-up position, supported by the propeller and cowling.
Post-Accident Inspection
The airplane was equipped with a brake assembly kit. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the bushings and bolts used in the installation of the brake assembly kit were not the proper specifications. Specifically, the mechanic had used bushings and bolts of smaller diameter than required.