Summary
On April 22, 2009, a Luscombe 8 (N2330K) was involved in an incident near Terrell, TX. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The failure of the landing gear due to undetected corrosion.
The commercial pilot had just landed on a 2,630-foot-long by 30-foot- wide asphalt runway with a direct tailwind at 5 knots. The tail wheel was down and the airplane had slowed to a taxi speed when the right landing gear separated from the right landing gear leg, then both wingtips struck the ground causing substantial damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that he thinks the axle failed because of hidden corrosion inside the landing gear tubing that was not detectable during a normal preflight inspection.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA268. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2330K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the landing gear due to undetected corrosion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The commercial pilot had just landed on a 2,630-foot-long by 30-foot- wide asphalt runway with a direct tailwind at 5 knots. The tail wheel was down and the airplane had slowed to a taxi speed when the right landing gear separated from the right landing gear leg, then both wingtips struck the ground causing substantial damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that he thinks the axle failed because of hidden corrosion inside the landing gear tubing that was not detectable during a normal preflight inspection.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA268