On January 7, 2004, a Piper PA-28R-180 (registration N3820T) operated by Inland Flight Training was involved in an aviation accident near California City, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's decision to continue taxiing during dark night conditions without an operable taxi/landing light or taxiway lights and his failure to maintain taxiway alignment. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During taxi for takeoff on a dark night without taxiway edge lighting, a single-engine airplane inadvertently left the taxiway and encountered a ditch, causing the right main landing gear to collapse.
Incident Overview
A single-engine airplane experienced a collapse of the right main landing gear after the aircraft encountered a ditch while taxiing for takeoff. The pilot reported that the taxi occurred on a dark night and that he relied on the landing light to navigate along a taxiway parallel to the runway, as the airport lacked taxiway edge lighting.
Sequence of Events
While taxiing, the landing light suddenly turned off, leaving the pilot unable to see the surrounding environment. As a result, the pilot inadvertently taxied off the left side of the taxiway. The airplane then encountered a ditch located in the dirt median, leading to the collapse of the right main landing gear.
Mechanical Condition
No pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were reported, with the exception of the landing light. The landing light failure was noted as occurring during the taxi.