Accident Summary
On June 30, 2018, at about 1045 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25, registration N6307Z, was substantially damaged in an accident at Leon's Landing Airport (4AL7), Flat Rock, Alabama. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, the airplane had 120 gallons of chemicals and 30 gallons of fuel onboard at takeoff. During the takeoff roll, when the airplane reached about 40 mph, the tail lifted off the turf runway. When the airplane reached 65 mph, the right main landing gear (MLG) “snapped,” and the right wing dropped and struck the runway. As the right wing and propeller dug into the turf, the airplane spun, departed the runway, and subsequently impacted hay bales before coming to rest.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the fuselage aft of the cockpit was twisted and wrinkled, the right wing leading edge was crushed, and the right steel spring main landing gear was collapsed. The right main landing gear had broken off cleanly near where it attached to the wheel. The wheel, along with the lower portion of the MLG leg, had separated from the airplane and rolled into a swamp, and was not recovered. The remaining fracture surface on the upper portion of the right MLG leg exhibited shear lips and ratchet marks with multiple origins of fatigue.
Operator and Maintenance History
The operator, who had recently purchased the airplane, stated that it had only been operated about 200 hours before the right main landing gear failed. He thought that the previous owner had sent out the right MLG for overhaul; however, the previous owner stated that he had not done so and that it must have been the owner before him. He added that he only owned the airplane for a short time and realized that, although airworthy, “it was in rough shape,” so he sold it. None of the airplane’s maintenance logbooks were available for review.