Amateur-built Starlite N4326D accident near Shelbyville, Illinois

Probable cause

The corrosion of the left landing gear rotor and brake, which resulted in the loss of directional control during the landing rollout, and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that when the experimental, amateur-built airplane touched down for landing, the left main tire “locked up” and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder and aileron, but the airplane continued to veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage when it entered a plowed field, which caused the main landing gear to collapse and the left main tire to go through the left wing. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that left main landing gear rotor and brake exhibited rust with “pitting” and “scarring.” The left tire had a bald spot which was consistent with it being “locked up” and skidding. The aircraft logbook indicated that the airplane’s last conditional inspection was conducted on March 24, 2009, which was about 13 months prior to the accident. The accident flight was the first flight since the airplane had been stored for the winter in August 2009. The pilot reported that he “could have removed the wheels and checked them thoroughly” since the airplane had been in a "barn/hangar" over the winter.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10CA215 for the full record.