Amateur-built Bearhawk N118CR accident near Ahoskie, North Carolina

Probable cause

The collapse of the right main landing gear during a bounced, crosswind landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that, during landing roll, the right main landing gear (MLG) collapsed. He added that there were two bolts that secure the right MLG and that he found them both fractured after the accident. The pilot believed that one of the bolts was not properly tightened/torqued and failed first and that the second bolt then failed due to overstress. A witness who was working at the airport at the time of the accident reported that he noticed a small airplane approaching and that it appeared to be "wobbling" as it came in for landing. Upon landing, the airplane "bounced" on the runway, turned left, and departed the runway. The witness was unable to see the entire touchdown because his line of sight was partially obscured by buildings, but he noticed that one wingtip seemed to rise 15 to 20 ft during the bounce. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, airframe, and tailwheel. A 6-knot crosswind existed at the time of the landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20CA152 for the full record.