What happened
On 25 June 2000, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration D-GMCW, was conducting a private charter flight from Cambridge to Teesside. While approaching Teesside Airport, the pilot was instructed by Air Traffic Control to transition from a left-hand circuit for Runway 23 to a right-hand circuit for Runway 05. During the final approach, the aircraft was observed performing a tight right-hand base leg with a short final. Although the pilot reported that the landing gear appeared locked and indicated three green lights, the landing was noted as being somewhat hard.
Upon touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to veer sharply to the right. The aircraft slewed 180 degrees across the runway, eventually coming to a halt and obstructing the active runway. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger. While the airport fire service responded immediately, no fire occurred. The aircraft sustained damage to the underside, the left propeller, and the landing gear.
The investigation
Investigators analyzed ground contact marks from the runway surface, which revealed that the aircraft had landed slightly left of the runway centerline. The evidence indicated that the left main gear collapsed inward. This impact caused the left wing to drop, leading to multiple propeller strikes on the tarmac. The forward curling of the propeller tips suggested that the engine was still producing power at the moment of the collapse.
An examination of the airframe by an engineer found that the left-hand side brace had buckled under compressive overload, with several bolts bent by the force. Additionally, the right main landing gear side brace failed in tension due to the lateral loads experienced as the aircraft slid across the runway. No evidence of fatigue or prior mechanical defects was identified in the landing gear components.
Findings
- The aircraft landed with a high descent rate.
- The impact of the hard landing caused the inward collapse of the left main landing gear.
- The subsequent ground slide created excessive side loads, leading to the failure of the right main landing gear side brace.