Date: 201504
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operator: FBO
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: None
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class C ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: Main Gear
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: FBO
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Trainee
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Private
Second reporter function: Instructor; Pilot Flying
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Excursion Runway
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: We did an in depth pre-flight of the aircraft prior to takeoff. [During] the taxi out; we felt no shakes or rattling of the gear on the airplane. We did our run up before takeoff and everything there seemed normal also. We took off normally and got vectored for our first practice approach. Upon intercepting the approach course we started the approach. Before we crossed the final approach fix we did our pre-landing checklist; upon putting the first notch of flaps in we heard a bang. My instructor then took the controls and dropped the flaps thinking it was a flap issue. We kept hearing the bang and looked out the right window of the cockpit to see our right main gear flapping in the wind and hitting the flap. My instructor [urgently notified] tower and took us in for a landing. He put it down on the runway and rode it out as far as he could on the two remaining wheels until we were yawed into the grass off the runway. The aircraft skidded and came to a stop in the grass.


Second narrative: It was a typical instrument training flight and the plan was to simply stay in the area and do some practice approaches. The preflight; taxi; and takeoff were typical and uneventful and the plane appeared to be airworthy and ready for flight. However; while starting our pre-landing checklist right before reaching the FAF during the ILS we encountered a major problem. Once we were slow enough to put down 10 degrees of flaps my student and I heard a loud bang and I immediately took the controls and brought the flaps back up since it seemed like it may have been a problem with the flap system. The 'banging' sound continued and upon further inspection I noticed that the entire right main landing gear had disconnected from underneath the wing and was now banging into the bottom of the right flap as well as the right side of the fuselage. I immediately notified ATC. Once we were cleared to land I touched down on the left main gear and kept the plane on that one gear until all of the lift had dissipated. At this point the right wing started to drop towards the ground since the right gear was completely separated from the rest of the plane except for the few brake lines that were keeping it from disconnecting entirely. The airplane slid off the runway and into the grass where it came to a complete stop. No one was hurt and both ATC and the emergency response team commended me on a job well done of being able to safely land the airplane in the condition that it was in. I would have done nothing different in this situation and feel grateful that I was trained and prepared to deal with it when the time arose.


Synopsis: PA28 instructor with student experience a loud bang when the first increment of flaps is selected during approach. The instructor takes control and retracts the flaps but the banging continues. It is then noticed that the right main gear is hanging by its brake line. The approach is continued to landing and the aircraft skids off the runway when the right wing can no longer be held up.