Piper PA 30 accident near Salem, Oregon, June 5, 2020
On June 5, 2020 at about 1:21 am local time, a 1965 Piper PA 30, registered N8244Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Salem, Oregon (Mcnary Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue failure of the right main landing gear trunnion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2020 · about 1:21 am local time
- Place
- Salem, Oregon · Mcnary Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 30 No Series, built 1965 · all PA 30s on the register
- Registration
- N8244Y · registry record · serial 30-917
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after departure, he raised the landing gear and heard an unusual "clunk"; however, he did not observe any anomalies at the time and continued the flight. As the airplane neared the destination airport, the pilot extended the landing gear, but the landing gear did not fully extend. After troubleshooting, including attempting the emergency extension procedure, the pilot landed the airplane with the gear partially extended, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to the keel beam and the right-wing spar. Postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear trunnion was fractured as the result of two fatigue cracks that had developed at a welded gusset joined to a protruding boss. Once these fatigue cracks had propagated far enough into the boss cross-section, the remainder of the part fractured by overstress, likely during the last landing. The presence of two opposite-facing fatigue cracks was consistent with reverse bending fatigue. The fatigue cracks initiated at a tapered neck-shaped area, where the gusset and trunnion were joined. The cross-sectional thickness at this location was half the thickness of the gusset and a quarter of the diameter of the boss. This configuration would introduce a stress concentration at the locations of the fatigue cracking. The trunnion boss was consistent with a heat-treated aluminum alloy. The hardness approaching the welded joint decreased, consistent with softening from the heat input. The reduced hardness would increase susceptibility to fatigue crack initiation at the areas of stress concentration. It is likely that, over time, the fatigue cracks propagated as the joint flexed or bent back and forth, and the stress concentrations at the neck-shaped region were exacerbated by the reduced mechanical properties of that region. The fracture surfaces were damaged after the accident, and, due to the amount of post-fracture damage, no reliable fatigue analysis could be performed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,562 hours in all; 2,533 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 4,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 9, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,785 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2020; 25.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MFR Medford OR at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 5,146 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 1:20 am from KSLE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 1, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement - Summary of Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Summary of Findings - Mechanic | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.