NTSB NYC93LA036 — 1992-12-06 · JAFFREY, New Hampshire, United States

N3017P has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44, built 2007), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N3017P Piper PA-32RT-301T Minor

Probable cause & findings

AN IMPROPER WELD BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHICH RESULTED IN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSING, AND A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON TAKEOFF.

Factual narrative

DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE SWERVED UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE LEFT, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED A FRACTURE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE ENGINE MOUNT. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE FRACTURE AREA HAD BEEN WELDED AS PART OF REPAIR TO THE ENGINE MOUNT DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. ACCORDING TO A NTSB METALLURGICAL REPORT ABOUT THE WELD, '...EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE REVEALED NUMEROUS WELD DEFECTS SUCH AS POOR FUSION, EXCESSIVE POROSITY AND VOIDS....' IN ADDITION, THE METAL IN THE WELD AREA WAS FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY SOFTER THAN THE SURROUNDING METAL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_NYC93LA036.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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