Accident Overview
On November 22, 2021, at approximately 1349 Pacific standard time, a Cessna R182, registration N7592Y, was substantially damaged during an accident near Puyallup, Washington. The aircraft was being operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. The flight instructor and the private pilot receiving instruction reported no injuries.
Flight Sequence
The flight was intended as a stage check for the private pilot, who was preparing for an upcoming practical test. After completing several maneuvers in a practice area, the airplane was returning to the airport when the instructor requested the pilot simulate an emergency landing gear extension. The pilot observed that the left main landing gear did not extend. Despite multiple attempts to cycle the landing gear, including use of the emergency extension procedures, the left main gear remained retracted. The instructor then assumed control of the aircraft and elected to land with the landing gear retracted.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. Further inspection showed that the left main landing gear pivot assembly shaft had fracture-separated near the pivot housing, which prevented the left main gear from extending or retracting. The pivot assembly was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC, for examination. The laboratory found fracture characteristics consistent with a shear overstress fracture in clockwise torsion.
Maintenance Records Review
A review of the airplane’s maintenance records could not determine the age of the pivot assembly or whether any maintenance had been performed on that component. The operator reported that the accident airplane had always been flown with a flight instructor or examiner on board and that no hard landings had been reported or documented prior to the accident flight.