Primary finding
Probable cause
Undetermined.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During the takeoff roll, the left main gear collapsed and the airplane departed the side of the runway as the left wing hit the terrain.
Source record
Factual narrative
On April 30, 1993, at approximately 1130 central daylight time, during the takeoff roll from a private airstrip near Anahuac, Texas, a Grumman G 164A, N7485, was substantially damaged when the left main landing gear collapsed. The commercial pilot did not sustain injury. The FAR CFR Part 137 flight was being operated by Bay Area Dusters, Inc., of Anahuac, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. During a telephone interview conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the operator reported that the airplane was loaded with fertilizer. He further stated that the left main gear collapsed at approximately one hundred feet down the private agricultural airstrip. The airplane damage included the main gear, propeller, and main wing spars. The airplane was released to the operator following the investigation. -