Incident Overview
On September 19, 2015, at approximately 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, registration N7803P, experienced a landing gear collapse during landing at Lakefront Airport (NEW) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The aircraft was registered to Tinkstoy, LLC, of Little Rock, Arkansas, and was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Cantrell Field Airport (CXW) in Conway, Arkansas, around 1230. Visual meteorological conditions were reported by the pilot at the accident site, and an instrument flight plan had been filed.
Sequence of Events
After the main landing gear touched down, the pilot heard a "throbbing" sound, similar to a flat right main landing gear tire. The pilot applied left aileron in an attempt to lift the load off the right main tire. The airplane then drifted to the left, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no anomalies with the landing gear system prior to landing.
Post-Accident Examination
On October 19, 2015, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector determined that the damage to the fuselage bulkheads met the criteria for substantial damage, and the accident was reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). During the FAA examination, the airplane was resting on a flatbed trailer, which prevented the inspector from adequately viewing the landing gear areas to assess the system and tires. The inspector observed that the "landing gear actuation rods" were bent but could not determine whether this damage occurred before or after the impact. The reason for the landing gear collapse could not be determined.
Maintenance History
According to the airplane maintenance records, the most recent annual inspection was completed on May 1, 2015, at a total airframe time of 5,188.5 hours. During that inspection, the main landing gear left and right lower side brace links were replaced (though the maintenance record did not specify which side). The landing gear system was lubricated and an operational check was satisfactory.