Foley James SEAREY N477EM

Summary

On 18 January 2007 at about 20:15 local time, a Foley James SEAREY registered N477EM was involved in an accident near Danbury, Connecticut, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 January 2007 at 20:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Danbury, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR)

Coordinates

41.3717, -73.4822

Aircraft

Foley James SEAREY

Registration

N477EM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waterbury → Danbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07CA057

Nobody was injured.

Collapse of the left main landing gear due to previous damage. A factor in the accident was the inadequate annual condition inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a pre-buy and annual condition inspection of an amateur built Searey, the mechanic advised the pilot that the airplane's landing gear was out of adjustment. According to the airplane's maintenance records, the mechanic removed two bolts from the gear retraction drag links that were "to short," and replaced them with longer ones. He also found that the bolts were hitting the over center links and "repositioned the washers for more clearance." He then performed a retraction and extension test of the landing gear. Two landings later, the left main gear collapsed. The airplane slid off the side of the runway, struck a taxiway sign and was substantially damaged. During a postaccident examination by the airplane kit manufacturer, it was discovered that the "lock arms" were carrying the landing gear loads instead of the flat portion of the "angle" assembly, which normally rested against a wear pad. Further examination revealed that, sometime prior to the accident the bulkhead upright tubes had been bent outwards and the forked end of the hydraulic ram was out of adjustment and could not fully retract, keeping the knee joint from traveling into the over-center locking position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.