N46PS

On February 22, 1998, at 1400 hours mountain standard time, a Piper J3, N46PS, ground looped and subsequently collapsed a main landing gear strut during landing at the Chandler Memorial Airfield, Chandler, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated at Steller Airpark in Chandler about 1315.

The pilot reported that during his rollout from the last touch-and-go, he lost directional control of the aircraft. He said that the airplane veered to the left and he applied full right rudder and full throttle in an effort to regain directional control. Before he was able to regain directional control of the airplane, the left gear leg struck a large bush on the edge of the runway. The collision with the bush bent the gear and forced the left wing and propeller into the ground.