Incident Overview
A pilot, who also served as a mechanic, performed a rerigging of the airplane's retractable landing gear system. Following ground retraction tests, the pilot conducted a test flight to verify the system's functionality. Upon returning to the airport, the right main landing gear failed to indicate a down and locked position, even after the pilot executed an additional manual retraction and extension cycle.
Flight and ATC Observations
To assess the gear position, the pilot flew by the air traffic control tower. A controller observed that the gear appeared to be down but could not confirm that it was locked in place. Despite this uncertainty, the pilot proceeded with the landing.
Landing and Collapse
During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. The collapse resulted in damage to the right aileron. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wing area.
Post-Accident Inspection
An inspection of the landing gear system revealed a fractured locking link end fitting within the retraction/extension mechanism. This component failure was found in the system that had been recently rerigged by the pilot/mechanic.