The pilot told investigators that after touchdown on Runway 34 at the airport in Jasper, Georgia, the left main landing gear collapsed.
The Cessna 414 skidded to the left, departed the runway, and hit a taxiway sign.
The pilot also reported that he had “3 green” indications before touchdown, and the landing was “smooth and straight.”
An inspector with the FAA responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. He reported that the left wing sustained substantial damage to the lower structure. The landing gear was collapsed, and the left main landing gear torque tube was fractured.
After recovery of the wreckage to the ramp, maintenance personal removed the fractured torque tube, and it was forwarded to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory for further examination. The examination revealed the presence of multiple fatigue cracks near the weld between the boss arm and the tube body. The opposite-facing fatigue cracks propagated inward from the outer and inner surfaces, consistent with reverse bending at this location. The cracks initiated from multiple crack initiation sites.
Cessna Multi-engine Service Bulletin (SB) MEB09-2, dated May 11, 2009, addressed the issue of main landing gear torque tube failure. The service bulletin stated that noncompliance could result in fatigue failure of the torque tube. The SB required replacement of the tube at 4,000 hours of time in service.
According to the owner, the airplane total time was 5,000 hours and the torque tube was original to the airplane. The service bulletin was not included in an FAA Airworthiness Directive.
Probable Cause: The failure of the owner to comply with a service bulletin, which resulted in the failure of the left main landing gear torque tube due to fatigue cracking.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This June 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
SAIBs, the last I checked are NOT mandatory for Part 91 operations. ADs are. And I concur with other comments that the FAA should have made this into an AD (time based or number of landings).
At the very least, new guidance for Annual inspection should call out this out to be inspected for cracks. But maybe that is what an SAIB does for 135/121, etc. operators. [I’m not an A&P, I haven’t read much of those regulations]
The factory should have footed the Bill for new parts.. In my opinion they knew it was weak from the get go. No excuses for the owner. But every annual that was accomplished should have been identified after the bullitan was sent out?? Just wondering because I’m ignorant about this aircraft.
This is a 49 year old aircraft with 5,000 hours on the airframe. This looks to be a highly stressed part, so minimally, the tubes should be inspected annually for cracks, or remove them to do a dye penetrant test for cracks.
I imagine that a part with a small crack might be repaired with new weld…maybe ?
Otherwise, the replacements are $5,000 each….ouch.
That has been a known problem in the 400 series for years. We operated a Fleet of 13 402’s and had numerous failures always on the left side. Split open like a biscuit can.
What Airworthiness Directives were made for.
I hate to say it, but…
Pay me now, or pay me later!
Read and comply with a service bulletin? You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
/J
There is no info on whether the gear torque tubes were ever inspected for cracks in the 13 years since the Mandatory Service bulletin was issued.?
The log book would have shown any inspection. But the NTSB didn’t look at it ?
So, will the insurance co pay for the repairs or no.?
Textron has the parts, but $5,000 each….ouch !!
Another Stupid Pilot Trick… !