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| Date: | Thursday 12 January 1978 |
| Time: | 21:47 |
| Type: |  North American RA-5C Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | US Navy |
| Registration: | 156635 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Nimitz, 65 miles southwest of Crete -
 Mediterranean Sea
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Nimitz |
| USS Nimitz |
Starboard main landing gear collapsed on night arrested landing aboard USS Nimitz. Aircraft written-off.
On second night CCA (Carrier Controlled) landing (first was a bolter) the starboard main landing gear collapsed on arrestment of No. 4 wire due to separation of MLG rod from MLG strut assembly. The half-inch radius rod attach stud on strut sheared allowing MLG rotation from down-locked position.
The Vigilante continued up the deck coming to a stop on the wing tip and horizontal stabilizer. The upper assembly pierced the starboard intake FODing that engine.
It was lifted by a forklift onto a dolly causing more damage to underside of a/c. Prior to moving to the hangar deck a forklift with a finger boom was used causing a 12”X6” hole to be punctured in the RH wing, the X-band droop antenna to be broken and the underwing waveguide fairing to be cracked.
Initial landing accident damage: $56,577. Clearing it off the deck - lifting and removing the Vigilante into hangar to clear landing area damage: $435,578.
This was the 5th known failure of the MLG radius rod attach stud on the starboard MLG outer cylinder. Instantaneous failure crack originated at a radius mismatch at the stud base where chrome plating (protective surface) was not blended at the edge. A circumferential tool mark was also visible.
These surface discontinuities acted as stress raisers that initiated the crack.
Cause was the damage to the surface of the stud not a fatigue crack. Failure due to the radius surface mismatch and the tool mark.
This aircraft was Struck Off Charge as DBR. 156635 was delivered to the Navy on 30 June 1970 and had accumulated 2,473.1 flight hours.
RVAH-6 crew not injured:
Lt Peter H. Douglas, pilot
Lt(jg) Dennis W. Miller, RAN
Sources:
US Navy accident report
Location
Revision history:
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