What happened
On 8 September 2002, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration G-BLWD, was conducting a dual check ride at Elstrollee Aerodrome. During a circuit for runway 26, the crew performed a flapless approach at an estimated speed of 90 knots. The aircraft touched down approximately 80 metres before the runway threshold on a rough, untended concrete surface.
Upon this initial contact, the right main landing gear fork assembly fractured at the axle. This caused the right main wheel to detach and strike the right flap. The sequence of failures continued as the nose landing gear collapsed, resulting in both propellers striking the runway surface. As the aircraft continued along the centerline, the left main landing gear subsequently failed approximately 94 metres past the threshold, causing the aircraft to veer right and exit the runway. The impact damaged the fuel drain valves, leading to a fuel leak, though no fire occurred. The two crew members evacuated the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined ground markings and the aircraft's structural components. The ground tracks began 80 metres short of the threshold, where a small hole in the pavement was noted. The investigation confirmed that the right main landing gear failure was caused by overload in bending. Metallurgical analysis of the fork assembly revealed no evidence of fatigue, corrosion, or pre-existing defects, and the material met all manufacturer specifications.
Regarding the subsequent gear failures, the nose landing gear was found retracted in its bay with a severely bent actuator rod. The left main landing gear, while structurally intact, was not in the locked position due to a fractured eye-end bearing in the lock link assembly, also caused by bending overload. While the aircraft had been involved in a nose gear collapse in 1999, investigators determined this was not a contributing factor to the 2002 event.