Event Description
A flight crew performed a touch-and-go landing at Mountain Air Airport. After raising the landing gear following the touch-and-go, an "unsafe gear" warning light illuminated. The crew cycled the gear down and received a normal "three green" indication. They then cycled the gear back up, and the "gear unsafe" light reappeared. The crew diverted to Greensboro, North Carolina. Upon landing in Greensboro, the airplane's right main landing gear collapsed.
Investigation Findings
After the accident, gear parts from the accident airplane were discovered on the runway at Mountain Air Airport. Metallurgical examination of the landing gear components revealed fractures consistent with overstress separation and no evidence of fatigue. An FAA Inspector's examination of the runway at Mountain Air Airport showed evidence that the accident airplane had touched down short of the runway.
The probable cause, as determined by the official investigation, was the pilot's misjudged distance/altitude that led to an undershoot and the pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point.