Accident Overview
On January 29, 2016, at approximately 1130 central standard time, a Maule M 7-235C single-engine airplane, registration N66E, experienced a right main landing gear collapse during landing at the Macon-Fower Municipal Airport (K89) in Macon, Missouri. The airplane was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight had departed at an unknown time.
Landing and Collapse
The pilot performed a normal touchdown on runway 20. During the landing roll, a vibration was felt in the airframe. Shortly thereafter, the right wing dropped and the pilot lost yaw control. Unable to maintain directional control, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest upright off the runway edge. The pilot was not injured.
A witness who was a pilot-rated individual reported that the landing approach, flare, and touchdown appeared normal. The witness estimated wind conditions at 8 to 10 knots, not gusting, with a 20-degree left crosswind for the landing.
Damage and Examination
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage. The right main landing gear had collapsed and remained partially attached to the fuselage. The right wing strut and right wing were bent. The inspector found the upper half of a bolt that attaches the right main gear strut to the fuselage; the bolt was sheared, and the fracture surface was consistent with an overload failure. The fuselage-to-main-landing-gear frame structure was fractured. No evidence of corrosion or a preexisting condition that contributed to the failure was observed. The right main landing wheel hub assembly was fractured, with a portion of the hub not located; the remaining portion showed no evidence of corrosion or preexisting condition contributing to the failure.
Conclusion
The reason for the right main landing gear collapse could not be determined based on the examination.