What happened
On December 27, 2012, a Piper PA-32-301, registration N428S, was performing a landing at Middle Bass Island, OH. During the approach, the pilot reported that the aircraft touched down short of the runway threshold. As the landing gear made contact with the edge of the paved runway surface, the right main landing gear separated from the aircraft. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right main wing spar. The pilot also noted the presence of snow piles, measuring between 1 and 2 feet in height, at the approach end of the runway. There were no injuries resulting from the accident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the impact with the runway edge and the subsequent separation of the landing gear and damage to the wing spar.