April 5, 2011, Okeechobee, Fla., Cessna 172RG

At about 2130 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when the main landing gear collapsed during the landing roll. Neither the flight instructor (CFI) nor the private pilot aboard were injured. Visual conditions prevailed. On downwind, the CFI read the prelanding checklist to the private pilot, who extended the landing gear. The CFI put his hand on the landing gear handle to verify it was down, given he could not see the green light from his seat.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, June 01, 2011 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A Cessna 172RG sustained substantial damage when its main landing gear collapsed during the landing roll, with no injuries to the flight instructor or private pilot aboard.
The main landing gear collapsed after a seemingly normal landing, despite the pre-landing checklist being completed and the gear handle verified down; the flight instructor reported not hearing the landing gear warning horn.
Unusual tire marks on the runway, initially wider than the aircraft's main landing gear span before narrowing, suggest a potential issue with the gear's stability or integrity prior to its collapse.

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On downwind, the CFI read the prelanding checklist to the private pilot, who extended the landing gear. The CFI put his hand on the landing gear handle to verify it was down, given he could not see the green light from his seat. The landing felt “normal,” then the main landing gear collapsed. The nose landing gear remained extended, the airplane veered left and came to rest at the edge of the runway. At no point did the CFI hear the landing gear warning horn during the accident sequence. There were tire marks on the runway approximately five to six feet wide, which narrowed to two to three feet wide for the remainder of the marks leading to the airplane. According to the Cessna 172RG Information Manual, the distance between the two main landing gear tires is 8 feet, 6 inches.