Cessna A185F N4492 accident near Farmington, New Mexico

Probable cause

Pre-existing damage of the through-bolt that attached the inboard end of the gear leg to the airframe hard-point, likely caused during maintenance on the gear.

NTSB analysis

The pilot said that very little crosswind correction was required as he landed on runway 25. After rolling a few hundred feet, the airplane "swerved very strongly to the right." Opposite brake and rudder had no effect and the airplane departed the runway and impacted terrain. The left landing gear collapsed and the left wing and elevator sustained leading edge damage. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found that the through-bolt that attached the inboard end of the gear leg to the airframe hard-point had pre-existing damage. Further examination found that threads from the failed nut remained stuck in the threads of the bolt, indicating that the nut failed and stripped off the bolt, leaving the inboard end of the gear leg loose and free to move up and down. This allowed the gear leg to move forward and aft. The chaffing on the longeron, inboard of the gear leg attach point, was indicative that the bolt-nut combination had been loose for some time. There were indications of looseness on the right gear leg attach bolt after the leg was removed for transport.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10LA474 for the full record.