Probable cause
The failure of the right main landing gear trunnion bracket due to an undetermined overstress event.
NTSB analysis
According to the flight instructor, after an uneventful training flight, the airplane was returning to home base. After touchdown and during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right of the centerline and stopped. The instructor exited the airplane and discovered that the right main landing gear had collapsed. Postaccident examination of the landing gear revealed that the right aft main landing gear trunnion bracket had failed and that the wing spar web was damaged. A visual examination of the fracture surfaces revealed that the landing gear trunnion bracket failed during an overstress event. A review of the logbooks did not reveal any recent maintenance to the gear assembly. The investigation could not determine when the overstress event occurred that resulted in the failure of right main landing gear trunnion bracket.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA17LA204 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 9, 2017
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Gaithersburg, Maryland
- Nearest airport
- Montgomery County Airpark (GAI)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night
Piper PA 44-180
- N-number
- N3020M
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1979
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
Other records under this N-number
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.