AAIB investigation to Piper PA-23-250, N13987

Right main landing gear collapsed after landing, Auguste George Airport, British Virgin Islands, 23 June 2022.

From:: Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Published: 8 September 2022

Category:: Commercial - fixed wing
Report type:: Bulletin - Correspondence investigation
Date of occurrence:: 23 June 2022
Aircraft type:: Piper PA-23-250
Location:: Auguste George Airport, British Virgin Islands
Registration:: N13987

Summary:

皇冠体育app pilot reported that the landing was normal, but the right main landing gear collapsed rearwards as the aircraft slowed during the rollout. 皇冠体育app pilot was uninjured.

Investigation by the aircraft operator鈥檚 maintenance agency identified that the right main landing gear drag bolt had broken. Similar failures have occurred on other PA-23 type aircraft, and the manufacturer issued Service Bulletin 1299 in January 2017 to periodically check (and replace) the bolts. 皇冠体育app FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-17-08 in February 2017 recommending that operators comply with the manufacturer鈥檚 bulletin. 皇冠体育appy did not consider the failure to be an unsafe condition, so an Airworthiness Directive was not issued.

皇冠体育app aircraft operator told the AAIB that they periodically checked the bolts in accordance with the manufacturer鈥檚 recommendations, but no anomalies had been found. After the accident, they said that they will replace the drag bolts on all their PA-23 aircraft.

皇冠体育app