Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper handling of the airplane during landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot stated that his landing in the tailwheel-equipped CESSNA 152 was normal. The landing gear suddenly collapsed during rollout. The right main landing gear leg had completely separated from the fuselage.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 26, 1995, about 0900 mountain daylight time, N5460B, a tailwheel equipped Cessna 152 was substantially damaged when the landing gear collapsed during landing in Saratoga, Wyoming. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Bloomfield, Colorado, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to an FAA aviation safety inspector from Casper, Wyoming, the pilot stated that the landing was "normal" and that the landing gear suddenly collapsed during roll out. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the entire landing gear assembly had been "ripped out" of the fuselage structure. No pre-impact mechanical malfunctions were reported. According to FAA records, the pilot had no medical certificate or current biennual flight review endorsement. He provided no narrative history of the flight when he submitted his accident report, other than to report that the right main landing gear was damaged. -