Medford, OR, USA
N606HS
Herb Six Northstar
The pilot of the homebuilt Herb Six Northstar was cleared for takeoff on runway 32 at the Medford airport. He made a wings level rolling left turn from an intermediate taxiway and accelerated to takeoff while raising the tail. During this maneuver the right main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft ground looped to a stop. Post-crash examination revealed the right main landing gear shock strut cross tube had buckled in compression in two locations and although the aircraft was in a left turn onto the runway the right main landing gear/wheel was found folded underneath the center of the fuselage.
On April 15, 2003, at 1305 Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt Herb Six Northstar, N606HS, registered to and being flown by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when the right main landing gear collapsed on takeoff roll at Medford, Oregon. The pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14CFR91, and was destined for a local airstrip in the Medford area. The pilot reported (refer to NTSB Form 6120.1 attached) that after his pre-takeoff checks he was cleared for takeoff on runway 32 from the A-5 intersection (refer to attached diagram). He stated that "...I made a wings level left turn onto runway 32, advanced [the] throttle [and] raised the tail. At that moment the right front of the fuselage dropped. I thought I had blown my right main tire. I cut power [and] tried to keep straight on [the] centerline. [I] slowed to 5-10 mph [and] ground looped to [the] left...." Additionally, he reported in part in the "recommendations" section of his submitted NTSB Form 6120.1 (attached), that "...cause was [the] failure of [the] r[igh]t gear leg strut that failed in compression...." Post-accident examination revealed the right main landing gear shock strut cross tube (refer to graphic images 1 and 2) buckled in two locations: 1) at the wheel axle attach bolt and 2) several inches outboard of the shock strut fairing outboard edge. The buckling was characteristic of compression rather than tensile loading. The right main landing gear (wheel and "vee" strut) was observed folded under the aircraft's center fuselage with the weight resting on the outboard circumferential surface of the tire (refer to graphic images 3 and 4).
The compressive buckling and collapse of the right main landing gear.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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