Maule M4-220C N535TJ accident near Cherryville, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent main landing gear collapse.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during the landing on the private grass strip, the main landing gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the main landing gear assembly revealed that both tubes of the "A" frame assembly on each main landing gear exhibited buckling about mid-length and that both of the main landing gear struts were bent in the positive direction, which is consistent with a hard landing. No corrosion was noted on the mounting hardware, landing gear attachment mounts, or main landing gear structure. No other anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot improperly flared the airplane, which resulted in a hard landing and main landing gear collapse.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14LA295 for the full record.