What happened
On 21 April 2024, a Piper PA-28R-200, registration G-BCPG, was performing a private flight at Teesside International Airport. Following a 50-hour maintenance check, the pilot began taxiing toward the holding point for Runway 05 to conduct engine checks. As the aircraft turned into the wind, the pilot heard a loud impact, and the left wing suddenly dropped. The pilot immediately shut down the engine and exited the aircraft without injury.
Upon inspection, it was observed that the left main landing gear had not retracted as expected but had instead collapsed rearwards. The incident resulted in no fatalities and no injuries, though the aircraft sustained significant damage to the gear leg, retraction mechanism, mounting brackets, wing spar, and the upper wing structure.