What happened
On September 28, 2017, a Piper PA 22, registration N4734Z, was performing a landing in Orangeburg, South Carolina. During the touchdown phase of the landing, the right main landing gear tire failed. This failure caused the aircraft to veer to the right, which subsequently led to a post-impact fire.
The pilot was not injured in the accident. However, the aircraft was destroyed by the fire following the impact.
The investigation
The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions occurring prior to the accident that would have prevented the aircraft from operating normally.