Incident Overview
During taxi operations at an undisclosed location, a ski-equipped airplane experienced a landing gear collapse after the pilot inadvertently hit a rut in the snow. The pilot, in a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, reported that the aircraft's right main landing gear failed at the fuselage attach point, causing the right wing to strike the ground. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and aileron.
Pilot Statement
The pilot noted that he was taxiing the airplane at a speed sufficient to keep the tail off the ground. The exact taxi speed was not specified, but the pilot indicated that the pace was necessary to maintain tail clearance. The collision with the snow rut led directly to the structural failure of the landing gear.
Damage and Examination
The right wing and aileron sustained substantial damage as a consequence of contacting the ground after the gear collapse. Due to the remote nature of the location, the NTSB did not conduct an on-site examination of the aircraft. No further details about the extent of damage or other potential issues were available.
Subsequent Actions
The NTSB documented the incident based on the pilot's account. Without a physical inspection, the investigation relied solely on the pilot's description of events. The remote setting precluded a more thorough analysis of the aircraft's condition or the specific characteristics of the rut that contributed to the incident.