Summary
On October 15, 2017, a Cessna 172RG (N5159U) was involved in an incident near Auburn, WA. 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 failure of the right main landing gear for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to conduct commercial maneuvers in the local area. After completing maneuvers in the practice area, the airplane went to the airport to conduct takeoff and landings.
The student pilot reported that during the third landing, he did his landing checklist about midfield on the downwind. After he put the landing gear handle down, he noted that he heard the landing gear hydraulic motor actuating. He added that he glanced at the gear down indictor light and believed that it was green.
During the touchdown the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA013. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5159U.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the right main landing gear for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to conduct commercial maneuvers in the local area. After completing maneuvers in the practice area, the airplane went to the airport to conduct takeoff and landings.
The student pilot reported that during the third landing, he did his landing checklist about midfield on the downwind. After he put the landing gear handle down, he noted that he heard the landing gear hydraulic motor actuating. He added that he glanced at the gear down indictor light and believed that it was green.
During the touchdown the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway.
After exiting the airplane, the flight instructor and student pilot noticed that the landing gear handle was down, the green gear down light was not illuminated, and the circuit breaker for the gear pump was open.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage.
During a postaccident examination, the airplane was lifted up by jacks and the landing gear was swung 5 times. The malfunction could not be reproduced, and no anomalies were noted.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA18CA013