Event Description
On 18 October 2017, at approximately 13:30 local time (17:30 UTC), a Piper PA-28R-200, registration N1994T, was involved in a serious incident while performing a local test flight from Aeropuerto Internacional Dr. Joaquín Balaguer (MDJB) in the Dominican Republic. During landing, the left landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft came to rest on the runway. The pilot and a passenger were on board; both were uninjured.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft, manufactured in 1971 by Piper Aircraft, Inc., was a PA-28R-200 with serial number 71-35187. It was equipped with one Lycoming O-360-1E1 reciprocating engine and a Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The landing gear was of the retractable tricycle type. The aircraft used 100 LL fuel.
The pilot, a U.S. national born on 9 January 1949, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine and instrument ratings. His last medical examination was on 18 May 2016. He had approximately 1,840 total flight hours, with about 280 hours on the aircraft model.
Landing Gear Failure and Damage
The left landing gear collapsed during the landing rollout. As a result, the aircraft sustained minor damage, including a dent in the lower fuselage, deformation of the left wing tip, deformation of the left horizontal stabilizer, and damage to the rear anchor point. No structural separations occurred, and the aircraft remained intact on the runway.
Cause
The investigation commission determined that the probable cause of this serious incident was the failure of the left landing gear due to detachment of the weld at its rear anchor point, caused by fracture of the drag link pin.