Piper PA-28-201T N47589 accident near Santa Ana, California

Probable cause

The failure of the left main landing gear due to the lack of lubrication.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, when he put the landing gear down, he did not receive an indication in the cockpit that the nosewheel was engaged. He recycled the landing gear but still did not receive an indication that the gear was engaged. He then flew by the air traffic control tower and the controller reported that the landing gear appeared to be down; however, on the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that components of the main landing gear retraction system lacked recent lubrication. The grease fittings on the components had been painted over, and there was no evidence of grease on the movable parts. The landing gear’s ball joints and movable surfaces all appeared to be dry. The lack of lubrication prevented the left main landing gear from locking in the down position, resulting in its collapse during the landing roll.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11LA108 for the full record.