NTSB CHI90LA085 — 1990-02-18 · PONTIAC, Michigan, United States

Current FAA registration · N8394D

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture: 1981 · 9 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19970910
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S AB7CB1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8394D Piper PA-28-161 None

Probable cause & findings

OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACH BOLTS FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.

Factual narrative

THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND DUAL INSTRUMENT STUDENT WERE TAXIING FROM THE RAMP TO THE ACTIVE RUNWAY WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR BOLTS ON THE LEFT GEAR HAD FAILED. THE CFI REPORTED THAT THEY WERE TAXIING STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A SMOOTH, PAVED SURFACE, AND MOVING AT A NORMAL TAXI RATE WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FAILURES APPEARED TO BE DUE TO OVERLOAD; THERE WAS NO REPORT OF A PREVIOUS HARD LANDING IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_CHI90LA085.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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