What happened
On June 1, 1965, a Travel Air 95, registered as HB-GOD, was performing a landing at Zurich-Kloten Airport. During the landing sequence, the right landing gear leg collapsed. The impact caused significant damage to the aircraft, valued at approximately 12,000 Swiss Francs, and also resulted in minor damage to a runway light.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the landing gear assembly at the time of the incident. Investigators examined the deployment and locking mechanism of the right gear leg to determine why it failed to support the aircraft's weight upon touchdown.
Findings
The investigation established that the right landing gear leg failed to lock into its extended position. This failure was attributed to a break within the deployment mechanism, which prevented the gear from being properly secured during the extension process.