NTSB Factual Report

On January 1, 2018, about 1725 eastern standard time, a Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam P2006T airplane, N594MA, sustained substantial damage following a landing gear separation during landing at the Falwell Airport, Lynchburg, Virginia. The certificated flight instructor in the right seat and the pilot receiving instruction in the left seat sustained no injury. The airplane was registered to Mid-Atlantic Air Ventures, Inc., Martinsville, Virginia and was operated by the Infinity Flight Group, Trenton, New Jersey, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 visual flight rules instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions were present at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The airplane departed from the Trenton Mercer Airport, Trenton, about 1440.

The flight instructor reported that the flight was an instructional multiple leg cross-county, that was required for the pilot to complete toward a commercial pilot certificate. Enroute to the Falwell Airport, the flight following procedures were cancelled once the airplane was within 5 miles from the destination airport. The aircrew then monitored the automated terminal information service (ATIS) from the Lynchburg Regional Airport/Preston Glen Field, Lynchburg, which reported the wind condition at 8 knots, from 290°. The pilot was landing on runway 28.

The flight instructor further reported, the pilot entered the airport traffic pattern from the north-northwest onto a 3 mile right base leg for runway 28. The pilot then lowered the landing gear and confirmed there were 3 green landing gear lights. The pilot turned onto final approach, and with the flaps fully extended, the aircrew verified verbally that all landing gears were down and locked. The pilot maintained about a 500 fpm descent on final and verified verbally with the flight instructor that the airspeed was 70 knots. The pilot flared and executed a normal landing. Immediately after touchdown, the left main landing gear assembly separated at the axle. Subsequently, the airplane skidded for about 100 feet, departed the runway to the left, and came to rest on the grass. The pilot performed a shutdown and the two occupants egressed without further incident.

The flight instructor reported there were no wind gusts during the approach and landing, and there was no side loading at touchdown. The flight instructor further reported that in his experience, he did not feel the landing would have caused any damage.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The separated main landing gear leg assembly was recovered and secured for future examination.