Vandenberg Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tampa, Florida 33680
Thursday, July 21, 1988 8:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

SHORTLY AFTER DEPG, THE PLT ELECTED TO RTRN TO THE ARPT FOR PAPERWORK HE HAD FORGOTTEN. HE RPRTD THE APCH & TOUCHDOWN WERE NORMAL, BUT DRG THE LNDG ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY & HIT A RWY LGT BEFORE STOPPING. AN EXAM OF THE LEFT GEAR REVEALED THE LEFT MAIN LNDG GEAR TRUNNION HAD FAILED NR THE FILLET WEB DUE TO FATIGUE. THE TRUNNION HAD BEEN IN SVC FOR 1255 HRS OF OPN. PIPER SVC BULLETIN #787A, DATED 8/15/85, RECOMMENDED THAT AFTER 1000 HRS OF SVC, THE TRUNNIONS BE INSPECTED AT INTERVALS NOT TO EXCEED 100 HRS OF OPN UNTIL REPLACED. INSPECTIONS WERE TO BE MADE WITH A 10 POWER MAGNIFYING GLASS AFTER PAINT & DIRT WERE REMOVED. THE TRUNNION HAD BEEN INSPECTED AT 55 FLT HRS BEFORE THE ACDNT, BUT RPRTDLY, THE OPERATOR FAILED TO PROPERLY REMOVE THE PAINT & DIRT BEFORE THE INSPECTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 7/21/1988
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 800
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City TAMPA
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33680
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport VANDENBERG
Event Location Nearest Airport ID X16
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 16
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 752 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 261
Weather Observation Facility ID TPA
Elevation of weather observation facility 27
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 9000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 900
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 9
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 100
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5072
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 21 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 835
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38168
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N47506
NTSB Number MIA88IA230
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-34-200T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-34-200T
Aircraft Serial Number 34-7870001
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 10 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 55
Airframe Hours 1255
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TRANS AIR DIRECT, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7806 ANDERSON ROAD
Aircraft Owner City TAMPA
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33634
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name TRANS AIR DIRECT
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7806 ANDERSON RD
Operator City TAMPA
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33634
Operator Code TAXA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 735
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 36
Runway Length 3260
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --