WILLIAMSTOWN, NJ, USA
N3975V
CESSNA 170
THE AIRPLANE HAD STARTED THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND HAD TRAVELLED ABOUT 150 FEET WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AXLE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY SWERVED LEFT AND THEN NOSED OVER. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT FATIGUE CRACKING OCCURRED AT THE JUNCTION OF THE FLANGE AND MAIN LANDING GEAR AXLE, RESULTING IN THE FAILURE OF THE AXLE, AND SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION OF THE LANDING GEAR FROM THE AIRPLANE.
On Saturday, October 23, 1993, at about 1210 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 170, N3975V, piloted by Mr. Joseph Reimer Jr, nosed over during take off at the Southern Cross Airstrip, Williamstown, New Jersey. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and the two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91. The airplane had started the takeoff roll and had traveled about 150 feet when the left axle of the main landing gear fractured, and separated from the airplane. The airplane ground looped and nosed over. According to the FAA's Malfunction Report: ...main landing gear axle experienced fatigue failure...the failure occurred at the junction which was cracked along the flange of the main landing gear axle, causing the left main landing gear to separate from the aircraft...it is suspected that a crack may have developed through normal operations, went undetected during preflight and annual inspections...
Fatigue failure of the gear axle which resulted in the collapse of the left main gear.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
