History of Flight
On January 2, 2012, at approximately 1500 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration N8282P, was substantially damaged during landing at a private airport near Shelter Island, New York. The certificated airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated from Farmingdale Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot reported departing FRG and flying to Shelter Island at 1,400 feet altitude, encountering moderate turbulence en route. A nearby airport reported surface winds from 280 degrees at 19 knots. He entered the traffic pattern for runway 22, a 1,800-foot-long by 100-foot-wide turf runway. He stated that he crossed over trees at the runway threshold at an indicated airspeed of 87 knots. After crossing the trees, the airplane encountered a downdraft and a decay in airspeed. The airplane touched down hard, bounced, and the right main landing gear separated. It came to rest off the right side of the runway, approximately one-third of the way down runway 22.
Examination
Postaccident examination by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors found that the right main landing gear had fractured at the axle hub, and the right main wing spar sustained substantial damage. The right main landing gear was later sent to a private facility for macro- and microscopic examination. The report indicated that the gear retraction arm fractured at its bolt connection, allowing the oleo strut to rotate and shear at the wheel axle assembly. Fracture surface analysis did not reveal evidence of any preexisting fatigue cracks.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, airplane multiengine land, and rotorcraft-helicopter, as well as a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He reported 18,548 total hours of flight experience, of which 2,500 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent flight review was conducted on September 27, 2011, in the accident airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in December 2011.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft's most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on August 19, 2011, at a total time of 3,270.07 flight hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated 3,287 total flight hours. The airplane service manual mandated specific 100-hour-interval inspections if operated from "soft or unusual terrain." These inspections included checks for cracks, attachment, damage, and cleanliness of the landing gear, as well as inspection of wheels for cracks, damage, chipped rims, and bearing condition.
Meteorological Information
The 1453 weather observation at Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK), approximately 20 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, reported wind from 290 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 21 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 5,500 feet, temperature 4°C, dew point -9°C, and altimeter setting 29.71 inches of mercury.
Additional Information
Review of the airplane information manual revealed that, given the atmospheric and wind conditions at the time of the accident, the landing distance required to clear a 50-foot obstacle would have been approximately 1,800 feet.