NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL01LA058
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The fatigue failure of the left main landing gear strut that resulted in collapse of the landing gear.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 2001, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N3042C, experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear during takeoff roll in Brooksville, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage; the commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight was departing from Hernando County Airport, Brooksville, Florida, at 1045. According to the pilot, while on takeoff roll from runway 27, the airplane pulled noticeably to the left. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and reduced power and applied the brakes. The left main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the landing gear revealed the left main landing gear strut assembly cylinder was broken. The break occurred at the point where the gear strut cylinder is bolted into the fork assembly. Laboratory examination of the gear strut cylinder revealed fatigue cracks originating from multiple locations on opposite sides of the bolt hole located on the forward side of the cylinder. Microscopic examination of the bolt hole revealed that the surface of the bolt hole was roughly machined. Further examination of the fracture surface showed multiple ratch and crack arrest marks. The total fatigue region occupied about 35 percent of the cross section of the cylinder. According to the operator, there is no previous history of maintenance problems on the left landing gear strut. During the takeoff roll the pilot noticed the aircraft pulling to the left. He aborted takeoff, reduced power and as the pilot applied brakes the left main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the gear strut cylinder revealed fatigue cracks originating from multiple locations on opposite sides of the bolt hole located on the forward side of the cylinder. Microscopic examination of the bolt hole revealed that the surface of the bolt hole was roughly machined. The total fatigue region occupied about 35 percent of the cross section of the cylinder. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2001_ATL01LA058.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
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