N3042C

On May 20, 2001, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N3042C, experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear during takeoff roll in Brooksville, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage; the commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight was departing from Hernando County Airport, Brooksville, Florida, at 1045.

According to the pilot, while on takeoff roll from runway 27, the airplane pulled noticeably to the left. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and reduced power and applied the brakes. The left main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the landing gear revealed the left main landing gear strut assembly cylinder was broken. The break occurred at the point where the gear strut cylinder is bolted into the fork assembly.

Laboratory examination of the gear strut cylinder revealed fatigue cracks originating from multiple locations on opposite sides of the bolt hole located on the forward side of the cylinder. Microscopic examination of the bolt hole revealed that the surface of the bolt hole was roughly machined. Further examination of the fracture surface showed multiple ratch and crack arrest marks. The total fatigue region occupied about 35 percent of the cross section of the cylinder.

According to the operator, there is no previous history of maintenance problems on the left landing gear strut.