Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 7; Flight Crew Total 616; Flight Crew Type 28
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Aircraft
Gear collapsed during takeoff; due to gear lock disengaging while bouncing on the runway. Found out later that retaining spring to keep lock engaged was missing. This spring is not on annual nor on preflight check list. Strongly recommend to add on both list and check function on regular basis.
Experimental aircraft pilot reported a gear collapse on takeoff due to a faulty gear lock spring.