N87787 – Taylorcraft DCO-65 – 2008-06-28 NTSB Accident Report

On June 28, 2008, a Taylorcraft DCO-65 (N87787) was involved in an incident near Somerset, TX. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The right main landing gear strut failure due to metal fatigue.

The airline transport rated pilot made a successful landing to runway 13 on a turf airstrip. During the landing roll, at about 30 miles per hour, the passenger stated that he heard a "loud pop" and the aircraft came to a complete stop. A Federal Aviation Inspector on scene noted the right main landing gear strut had failed. The failure was consistent with corrosion and subsequent metal fatigue. Substantial damage was determined to the right wing strut, rudder, tail wheel assembly, right main landing gear and the propeller. Both the pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted and uninjured. Winds were reported at the time of the accident to be from 140 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 18 knots.

This incident is documented in NTSB report DFW08CA172. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N87787.