PUT IN BAY, OH, USA
N9784M
MOONEY M20F
THE PLT HEARD A LOUD 'SNAP' WHILE TAXIING TO THE RWY, AND THE LDG GEAR COLLAPSED IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. THE PLT OBSERVED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS STILL IN THE DOWN-AND-LOCKED POSITION AND THAT THE GREEN 'GEAR DOWN' LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. FAA EXAM OF THE MANUALLY OPERATED LDG GEAR SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE/LEVER ASSY HAD CRACKED AND SEPARATED WHERE IT WAS WELDED TO A CROSS MEMBER. METALLURGICAL EXAM OF THE FRACTURE SURFACES REVEALED EVIDENCE OF BENDING OVERSTRESS SEPARATION. EXAM OF THE ACFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE LDG GEAR HAD BEEN RE-RIGGED ABOUT 11 FLT HRS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE ACFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL NOTES THAT THE OVERCENTER CONFIGURATION OF THE RETRACTION LINKAGE HOLDS THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, AND WARNS THAT IMPROPER GEAR RIGGING CAN RESULT IN A GEAR COLLAPSE DURING TAXIING OR LDG.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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