RARDIN WILLIAM I KITFOX III
Carlisle, AR — January 2, 2011
Event Information
| Date | January 2, 2011 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN11CA143 |
| Event ID | 20110106X30136 |
| Location | Carlisle, AR |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 34.80472, -91.70722 |
| Airport | Carlisle Municipal |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | RARDIN WILLIAM I |
| Model | KITFOX III |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
Failure of the left main landing gear strut due to a pre-existing crack in the weld joint.
Full Narrative
The private pilot was landing his single-engine experimental airplane in calm wind conditions, when the left main gear collapsed upon touchdown. The airplane veered to the right and the pilot attempted to keep the airplane on the runway by applying engine power and right aileron; however, the airplane went off the runway and spun, which resulted in structural damage to the fuselage. Examination of the left main landing gear strut revealed that the strut failed due to a pre-existing crack in the weld joint. The crack would not have been readily visible to the pilot during a pre-flight inspection due to the construction of the strut. The bracing around the strut exhibited signs of distress with twisted and shiny fracture surfaces. No other anomalies were found with the airplane.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.