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GAA18CA180

2018-03-26 · Tucson, Arizona, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RYN

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the left main landing gear axle weld during the landing roll.

Factual narrative

The pilot in the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that this was his third test flight. During the landing roll, he heard a loud noise, and the left side of the airplane dropped. The airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The left side of the airplane dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over. The FAA Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane reported that the left main landing gear axle weld had failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, the rudder and right upper wing spar. The pilot in the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that this was his third test flight. During the landing roll, he heard a loud noise, and the left side of the airplane dropped. The airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The left side of the airplane dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over. The FAA aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane reported that the left main landing gear axle weld had failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, the rudder, and the right upper wing spar. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Main gear strut/axle/truck-Failure - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA180.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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