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ATL89LA097

1989-03-04 · W. COLUMBIA, South Carolina, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CAE

Current FAA registration · N601RF

Make / Model
CESSNA 180J
Year of manufacture
1975 · 14 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20010822
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7CC73

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER TORQUING OF THE ATTACHMENT BOLT DURING INSTALLATION BY UNKNOWN PERSON(S), WHICH RESULTED IN THE SEPARATION OF THE BOLT AND NUT AND SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR FROM THE AIRPLANE.

Factual narrative

THE RT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE DURING LDG ROLLOUT. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE AN7-20A ATTACHMENT BOLT & MS20365-720C NUT HAD STRIPPED & SEPARATED. THE BOLT EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN LOOSE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE LOGS REVEALED NO ENTRIES PERTAINING TO RT MLG MAINTENANCE, OR ANY AIRFRAME REPAIRS, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED REMOVAL & REINSTALLATION OF THE GEAR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ATL89LA097.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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