No fatalities

Landing Gear Failure Leads to Post-Impact Fire and Total Loss

Orangeburg, SC, United States

On September 28, 2017, a PIPER PA 22 108 was involved in an aviation accident near Orangeburg, SC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A failed main landing gear tire for reasons that could not be determined due to postcrash fire damage. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A right main landing tire failure during touchdown caused the aircraft to veer off course, resulting in a collision and subsequent fire that destroyed the airplane. The pilot reported no prior mechanical malfunctions.

Incident Overview

During the landing phase of flight, the pilot experienced a critical mechanical failure involving the right main landing gear. Specifically, the tire on this unit failed upon initial contact with the runway surface. This sudden loss of structural integrity in the landing system immediately compromised the aircraft's directional stability.

Sequence of Events

Following the tire failure at touchdown, the airplane began to veer significantly to the right. The pilot was unable to maintain a straight trajectory, leading to an off-course excursion and a subsequent impact with terrain or obstacles. This collision triggered a post-impact fire that rapidly engulfed the airframe.

Damage Assessment

The intensity of the fire following the impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. The structural integrity of the plane was completely compromised by the thermal damage, rendering it beyond repair.

Mechanical Status Prior to Accident

In his post-incident report, the pilot stated that there were no observable mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation. The failure of the right main tire appears to have been an isolated event occurring specifically during the high-stress moment of landing touchdown.

Contributing factors

Directional control