N44JH

On August 9, 2001, approximately 1330 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-60-602P, N44JH, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at Rock Springs, Wyoming. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for this business flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Rock Springs approximately 1325.

The following is based on the pilot's accident report and a prior telephone conversation. The airplane had just taken off and was climbing through 9,000 feet. Immediately after copying his IFR clearance from the FAA air route traffic control center (ARTCC), the pilot heard "a very loud explosive sound" that came from the right side of the aircraft. He ruled out explosive decompression since the cabin was beginning to pressurize. Suspecting a separated wing panel or flight control, or possibly a bird strike, the pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan and informed ARTCC that he was returning to land. When the airplane touched down on runway 09, it began veering to the right and the pilot attempted to correct. The pilot said "dynamic oscillations of the right wheel [caused] vibrations throughout the airframe." The airplane departed the right side of the runway and the right main landing gear collapsed. The right gear was driven through the top of the right wing, and the left and nose gears collapsed. The pilot reported both wings were destroyed and the fuselage was buckled.

The pilot and airport personnel walked the length of the runway and found half of the right main tire (30 hours total time in service) and most of its inner tube (with a round section blown out) at the point of touch down. Missing was the valve stem. Continuous S-shaped gouge marks on the runway were consistent with the tire coming off the rim.