Socata TBM 700 N850ZM accident near Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Probable cause

The off-centered right main landing gear ball joint, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing during landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, after configuring the airplane for landing, the cockpit indications showed that the landing gear was down and locked. Upon landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane subsequently veered off the runway.

Postaccident examination of the landing gear revealed that the right main landing gear actuator rod end was separated from the actuator ball joint. No other anomalies were noted. Further examination of the actuator rod and ball joint revealed that the ball joint was not centered or set in its normal position. In April 2013, after several other events involving similar landing gear malfunctions, the manufacturer issued two mandatory service bulletins (SB), which outlined protocols for inspecting the pistons and rods of the landing gear actuators, inspecting the ball joint centering of the landing gear actuators, and measuring the ball joint mismatches. In March 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an airworthiness directive, which required compliance with the manufacturer's SBs and the repair or replacement of affected parts.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA672 for the full record.