NTSB MIA89IA145 — 1989-05-05 · MIAMI, Florida, United States

N859SC has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (PIPER PA-28-181, built 2024), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N859SC Piper PA-34-200T None

Probable cause & findings

FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TRUNNION. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS: INADEQUATE INSPECTION PROCEDURE IN PIPER SERVICE BULLETIN #787A.

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT AFTER THE ACFT HAD TOUCHED DOWN & ROLLED APRX 400 TO 600 FT, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED & THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TRUNNION HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THRU THE BARREL NEXT TO THE LOWER END OF THE FILLET. A METALLURGICAL EXAM SHOWED THE FATIGUE HAD ORIGINATED AT THE BASE OF A GRINDING MARK. SEVERAL SECONDARY CRACKS WERE ALSO FOUND WHICH ORIGINATED FROM GRINDING MARKS NEXT TO THE FATIGUE FRACTURE. THE AIRPLANE LOGBOOK SHOWED THE TRUNNION HAD BEEN INSPECTED AT THE LAST 100 HR INSPECTION IAW PIPER SERVICE BULLETIN (S/B) #787A. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 80 HRS SINCE THAT INSPECTION. THE S/B REQUIRMENT WAS TO 'PROPERLY CLEAN THE TRUNNION HOUSING OF DIRT AND PAINT AND CAREFULLY INSPECT THE HOUSING FOR CRACKS WITH A 10 POWER GLASS AT THE LOWER END OF THE FILLET.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_MIA89IA145.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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