Aircraft equipment problem. Corroded tubing on left main landing gear. Gear collapsed after landing.

Attributes
ACN	340664
Time
Date	199607
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mrh
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	J3 Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1750 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	340664
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was making a normal approach to drop a banner at mrh on runway 21 on the left side on the grass. On short final at 800 ft AGL, I was over the numbers and began my descent. At 200 ft AGL I released my banner and commenced my landing. Upon a normal touchdown I felt a small bump, which could have been normal considering it was a grass landing. But as the weight was transferred from the wings to the wheels the aircraft slowly sank toward the left. It stopped slowly and did a 120 degree turn to the left. One blade of the propeller was bent slightly, the left wingtip (after market STOL) was busted and of course the left main gear was busted. The first person on the scene was an authority/authorized inspector and he felt the cause was massively corroded tubing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. CORRODED TUBING ON L MAIN LNDG GEAR. GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS MAKING A NORMAL APCH TO DROP A BANNER AT MRH ON RWY 21 ON THE L SIDE ON THE GRASS. ON SHORT FINAL AT 800 FT AGL, I WAS OVER THE NUMBERS AND BEGAN MY DSCNT. AT 200 FT AGL I RELEASED MY BANNER AND COMMENCED MY LNDG. UPON A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN I FELT A SMALL BUMP, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN NORMAL CONSIDERING IT WAS A GRASS LNDG. BUT AS THE WT WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE WINGS TO THE WHEELS THE ACFT SLOWLY SANK TOWARD THE L. IT STOPPED SLOWLY AND DID A 120 DEG TURN TO THE L. ONE BLADE OF THE PROP WAS BENT SLIGHTLY, THE L WINGTIP (AFTER MARKET STOL) WAS BUSTED AND OF COURSE THE L MAIN GEAR WAS BUSTED. THE FIRST PERSON ON THE SCENE WAS AN AUTH INSPECTOR AND HE FELT THE CAUSE WAS MASSIVELY CORRODED TUBING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.