June 7, 2007, in Amarillo, Texas, Cessna 172K

At 1030 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during landing. The Student pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, while attempting a crosswind landing, the right main landing gear tire touched down first, followed by the left main landing gear tire. However, when the left hand tire made contact with the ground, "something went wrong." He held up the left wing as long as possible but the airplane subsequently departed the runway. The airplane impacted the airport perimeter fence.

Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A student pilot sustained substantial damage to an airplane during a crosswind landing attempt, though the pilot was uninjured.
The incident occurred when the left main landing gear spring assembly fractured upon touchdown, causing the airplane to depart the runway and impact a perimeter fence.
The fractured spring assembly, which separated the wheel from the fuselage, has been sent to the NTSB's Materials Laboratory for further examination.

See a mistake? Contact us.

At 1030 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during landing. The Student pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, while attempting a crosswind landing, the right main landing gear tire touched down first, followed by the left main landing gear tire. However, when the left hand tire made contact with the ground, “something went wrong.” He held up the left wing as long as possible but the airplane subsequently departed the runway. The airplane impacted the airport perimeter fence.

Inspection revealed the left main landing gear spring assembly had completely fractured into two sections. One section, which included the tire and brake assembly, was found on the runway. The other half remained attached to the fuselage. The fractured spring assembly was shipped to the NTSBs Materials Laboratory for further examination.