Event LAX94LA314

Factual narrative

On August 11, 1994, at 0930 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA28R- 200, N4374X, sustained a main landing gear collapse following a loss of directional control on landing at the Fresno, California, airport. The aircraft slid off the runway and collided with runway lights, damaging the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was on a personal cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at Carlsbad, California, on the morning of the accident at 0720 hours with an intended destination of Fresno. In his written statement, the pilot reported that he was on the landing ground roll when he began applying the brakes. The aircraft started pulling to the left and the pilot could not maintain directional control with full right rudder and brake. The pilot stated that the aircraft began to slide and the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector from the Fresno, California, Flight Standards District Office. The inspector reported that he did not find any unusual heat signatures on the brake disks, nor did he report any evidence of a brake system malfunction. There were no flat spots on either of the main tires and all three tires exhibited evidence of skid abrasion 90 degrees to the tread. Abrasion marks oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis were observed under the right wing. The right main landing gear was collapsed with the extend/retract rod end broken and the associated support bracket ripped out of the forward spar. The nose gear strut was found bent about 15 degrees to the left. Complete continuity was established between the cockpit rudder pedals and the nose gear steering collar. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS ON THE LANDING GROUND ROLL AND BEGAN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT AND THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKE. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SLIDE AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR WHO SAID HE DID NOT FIND ANY UNUSUAL HEAT SIGNATURES ON THE BRAKE DISKS, NOR ANY EVIDENCE OF A BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. THERE WERE NO FLAT SPOTS ON EITHER OF THE MAIN TIRES AND ALL THREE TIRES EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF SKID ABRASION 90 DEGREES TO THE TREAD. ABRASION MARKS ORIENTED 90 DEGREES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS WERE OBSERVED UNDER THE RIGHT WING. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS COLLAPSED WITH THE EXTEND/RETRACT ROD END BROKEN AND THE ASSOCIATED SUPPORT BRACKET RIPPED OUT OF THE FORWARD SPAR. THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS FOUND BENT ABOUT 15 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. COMPLETE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE COCKPIT RUDDER PEDALS AND THE NOSE GEAR STEERING COLLAR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12