On November 14, 2007, a Piper PA-44-180 (registration N274ER) was involved in an aviation accident near Byron, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Overload failure of the right main landing gear aft trunnion attach fitting. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During the landing roll, a flight instructor heard two clunking sounds, and the airplane dropped to the right. Examination revealed that the right main landing gear aft trunnion attach fitting failed due to overload, with a small fatigue region present.
Accident Description
After touchdown during the landing roll, the flight instructor heard a "clunking" sound. Subsequently, the airplane dropped slightly to the right. A second "clunk" was heard as the right wing made contact with the runway.
Examination Findings
A post-accident examination revealed that the right main landing gear aft trunnion attach fitting had failed. The fitting was removed for further metallurgical analysis.
Metallurgical Analysis
A metallurgical examination of the fracture surfaces was conducted. Although a fatigue region was identified on one of the three fracture surfaces, it was relatively small. The analysis concluded that the attach fitting most likely failed due to overload.
Probable cause
Overload failure of the right main landing gear aft trunnion attach fitting