SMA GEAR COLLAPSES AFTER SECOND LNDG ATTEMPT AS FIRST WAS ABORTED IN A GAR AFTER CONCERN AS TO ACFT GEAR STATUS ON LNDG PROC. ACFT DAMAGED.
Synopsis
SMA GEAR COLLAPSES AFTER SECOND LNDG ATTEMPT AS FIRST WAS ABORTED IN A GAR AFTER CONCERN AS TO ACFT GEAR STATUS ON LNDG PROC. ACFT DAMAGED.
Narrative
UPON APCHING THE CLEMSON OCONEE COUNTY ARPT ON A FLT FROM MYRTLE BEACH; SC; UNICOM ADVISED THAT RWY 7 WAS FAVORED. I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 7; ANNOUNCED MY POS TO CLEMSON TFC; AND UPON TURNING ON L BASE; I THOUGHT I HEARD A RADIO XMISSION SAY; 'JUMPERS AWAY AT CLEMSON.' I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CONTACT THE ACFT THAT XMITTED THIS MESSAGE TO DETERMINE THE ALT OF THE JUMP TO SEE IF THERE WAS SUFFICIENT TIME FOR ME TO COMPLETE MY LNDG. STILL LOOKING; BUT NOT SEEING ANY SKYDIVERS; I PROCEEDED WITH THE APCH. UPON TURNING FINAL; I ANNOUNCED MY POS AGAIN. BY THIS TIME; I WAS WELL ON FINAL AND BEGINNING TO FLARE OUT WHEN I SPOTTED SOME OF THE SKYDIVERS ABOVE ME. SUDDENLY; AMIDST THE DISTR CONCERNING THE SKYDIVERS; I REALIZED THAT MY LNDG GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND TRIED TO GET IT DOWN BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. I DID NOT KNOW WHERE OTHER JUMPERS MIGHT BE AND IN FEAR OF HITTING SOMEONE ON A GAR; I FELT IT WOULD BE BEST TO TRY TO GET THE PLANE ON THE GND. A SPECTATOR LATER TOLD ME THAT THE MAIN GEAR WAS ONLY PARTIALLY DOWN WHEN IT TOUCHED THE RWY. I HEARD METAL MOMENTARILY SCRAPE THE RWY AND WENT AROUND ANYWAY. DURING GAR; THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE LNDG GEAR ALL SIGNALLED 'DOWN AND LOCKED;' AND I PROCEEDED TO LAND. ALL WENT WELL ON THE LNDG AND ROLLOUT. UPON TURNING OFF THE RWY ONTO THE TAXI STRIP; THE L LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED. THE OUTER 3 FT OF THE L WING RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PROP AND OTHER LNDG GEARS WERE NOT DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL PHYSICAL INJURIES. THE L WING WAS LIFTED UP BY A GROUP OF BYSTANDERS; THE L MAIN GEAR MANUALLY EXTENDED AND LOCKED; AND THE ACFT ROLLED TO THE PARKING RAMP TO AWAIT NECESSARY REPAIRS. WHEN OBTAINING A WX BRIEFING AND FILING AN IFR FLT PLAN PRIOR TO DEP; NO MENTION WAS MADE OF SKYDIVING AT THE CLEMSON ARPT. IN HINDSIGHT; DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE SKYDIVING ACTIVITY WHEN HEARING; 'JUMPERS AWAY;' I SHOULD HAVE CLRED THE AREA OF THE ARPT UNTIL DETERMINING THE EXACT STATUS OF ANY JUMPING OPS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.