Accident Cessna 421C VH-ANH, Wednesday 12 July 1989

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Date:	Wednesday 12 July 1989
Time:	08:50
Type:	Cessna 421C
Owner/operator:
Registration:	VH-ANH
MSN:	421C0006
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Darwin Airport (YPDN), Darwin, NT - Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	YPDN
Destination airport:	YPGV
Investigating agency:	BASI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
During the takeoff roll, witness evidence suggested that the right main wheel tyre had blown. The pilot requested a low pass for an inspection of the gear and it was determined that the complete right main wheel was missing. After reducing fuel weight to a minimum by burnoff, the pilot carried out a wheels-up landing on the runway which had been foamed in advance. Subsequent on-site inspection by the Civil Aviation Authority airworthiness staff determined that four adjacent main wheel tie bolts had failed due to under-torquing. The resulting play in the wheel halves then caused the main wheel bearing to fail followed by the stripping of the remaining tie bolt nuts and the complete separation of the outer half of the main wheel and the tyre. The last periodic inspection of the aircraft was completed just prior to the accident flight.

Accident investigation: