Hawker Siddeley HUNTER N343AX accident near Newport News, Virginia

Probable cause

The failure of the right main landing gear due to a fatigue cracking.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was conducting a training flight under the supervision of a flight instructor in a second airplane. Following a touch-and-go landing, the landing gear was retracted; however, the right main landing gear indicated unsafe. After consultation with the flight instructor, the pilot again attempted to lower the landing gear and then observed a normal indication that all three landing gear were down and locked into position. As the pilot turned onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, he noticed a hydraulic warning light. The flight instructor also noticed fluid streaming from the right side of the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the pilot noted low hydraulic pressure and it was decided he would conduct a no-flap landing, utilizing the remaining hydraulic pressure to boost the flight controls. Immediately upon touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed. The pilot was unable to control the airplane and it veered off the right side of the runway before stopping.

The right main landing gear strut was broken in two parts. Examination of the broken right gear components revealed small crack features consistent with a preexisting progressive crack at the base of the aft pivot pin bore. It is likely that the preexisting fatigue crack in the landing gear propagated to the point of failure. The crack also likely became large enough for hydraulic fluid to leak following the touch-and-go landing and failed catastrophically when the airplane touched down during the final landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19LA169 for the full record.