Piper PA 25 N6307Z

Summary

On 30 June 2018 at about 15:45 local time, a Piper PA 25 registered N6307Z, operated by Blackstone Aircraft LLC, was involved in an accident near Flat Rock, Alabama, 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

30 June 2018 at 15:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Flat Rock, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Leon's Landing Airport (4AL7)

Coordinates

34.7447, -85.6897

Aircraft

Piper PA 25

Registration

N6307Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Blackstone Aircraft LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Flat Rock → Flat Rock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA182

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the right landing gear during takeoff due to a fatigue failure, which resulted in a runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight. During the takeoff roll and before becoming fully airborne, the right main landing gear (MLG) “snapped,” followed by the right wing dropping and striking the runway. As the right wing and propeller dug into the turf, the airplane spun, departed the runway, and subsequently impacted hay bales before coming to rest. The fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. Examination of the right steel spring MLG revealed that it had broken off cleanly at the wheel and displayed features that were indicative of a fatigue failure. No maintenance records were available for examination, and the service history of the right MLG could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.