Investigation number
198602303
Occurrence date
Location
8 km NE Coleambally
Report release date
Report status
Final
Investigation type
Occurrence Investigation
Investigation status
Completed
Occurrence class
Accident
Highest injury level
None
During the take-off run the right gear leg failed. The aircraft had just passed through a soft patch of ground then run over a grass tussock. The severed section of the leg punctured the right wing and dented the tailplane as the aircraft slid to a halt. A subsequent metallurgical examination found that the leg fractured because of the growth to critical size of a fatigue crack. The fatigue had originated in small surface imperfections caused by corrosion pitting.
Aircraft Details
Manufacturer
Piper Aircraft Corp
Model
PA-36
Registration
VH-OON
Operation type
Aerial Work
Departure point
8 km NE Coleambally NSW
Departure time
N/A
Destination
8 km NE Coleambally NSW
Damage
Substantial