Probable cause
The failure of the left main landing gear leg due to fatigue. Contributing to the incident was maintenance personnel's failure to completely remove all corrosion before repainting the gear leg.
NTSB analysis
The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry paved runway. He stated that just after touchdown, he heard a noise and felt the airplane pull to the left. He tried to abort the landing, but noted that the left main landing gear had separated from the fuselage, so he landed the airplane in the grassy area adjacent to the runway. During the landing the airplane sustained minor damage.
The spring steel left main landing gear assembly was fractured about 5 inches from the fuselage attach point. Postaccident metallurgical examination revealed that the landing gear leg fractured due to fatigue that initiated from pits on the lower surface of the leg. The pits were filled with brown paint that was covered with white paint. Therefore, it is likely that the pits were formed by corrosion that was not completely removed before the gear leg was repainted.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC12IA085 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 29, 2012
- Type
- Incident
- Place
- Homer, Alaska
- Nearest airport
- Homer Airport (PAHO)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Bellanca 8KCAB
- N-number
- N5026B
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Minor
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.