Accident Overview
On June 2, 2021, at approximately 2050 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161 airplane, registered as N2120J, experienced an accident near San Angelo, Texas. The aircraft was conducting a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight with a flight instructor and a student pilot on board. Neither occupant sustained injuries, but the airplane incurred substantial damage.
Instructor Account
According to the flight instructor, during the landing roll, he observed the left wing lowering as if the tire had deflated. Subsequently, the airplane veered left, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident inspection revealed a hole on the top of the left wing where the left main landing gear strut assembly had separated from the upper left wing spar cap. Several mounting holes in the left main landing gear strut were elongated, indicating wear over an extended period. Additionally, multiple landing gear strut mounting bolts were found loose, and all bolts were missing from the lower strut assembly mount. When the left main landing gear strut assembly was removed from the left wing, only the brake line remained attached; no other hardware secured the strut to the wing.
Maintenance Records
The airplane's maintenance records were not made available for review, so the maintenance history of the landing gear could not be determined.