Diamond DA 40 N323JT

Summary

On 16 May 2009 at about 19:48 local time, a Diamond DA 40 registered N323JT, operated by Waltzing Matilda Training LLC, was involved in an accident near Norwood, Massachusetts, United States. One person was 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

16 May 2009 at 19:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Norwood, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Norwood Memorial Airport (OWD)

Coordinates

42.1903, -71.1728

Aircraft

Diamond DA 40

Registration

N323JT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Waltzing Matilda Training LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Norwood → Norwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA295

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout, which resulted in excessive side loads to the right main landing gear and the separation of the outer main landing gear rib from the right wing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the airplane touched down during the student pilot's first solo landing in the composite, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, his flight instructor observed the right wing rise and the nose pitch up slightly, then heard the sound of screeching tires. The right main landing gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. Marks on the runway, along with damage to the landing gear tires, revealed that after touching down, the airplane entered a left skidding turn with only the nose and left main landing gear tires in contact with the runway. Near the end of the turn, the right main landing gear tire deflated when it contacted the runway in a skid. The right main landing gear metal wheel rim then contacted the runway, also in a skid, resulting in excessive side loading to the right main landing gear and separation of the landing gear and outer landing gear rib from the right wing. Winds at the time were calm. An examination of the bonded area between the rib and the vertical webbing of the forward and aft wing spars, and between the rib and the inside surface of the upper wing skin, revealed void areas in the adhesive. However, calculations indicated that the void areas would not have affected the outcome of the event due to the extent of the excessive side forces subjected to the landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.