What happened
The pilot reported that during the landing phase, he heard a loud squeal from a tire and felt the aircraft pull to the left. He applied right aileron and rudder to maintain a straight path. As the aircraft slowed, it began to veer left again. The pilot stated that the left tire then literally exploded. The left gear strut collapsed, causing the propeller and left wing tip to contact the runway. The aircraft then veered to the right and departed the runway.
Air traffic control specialists working local and ground control observed the aircraft land hard with the left wing down. They saw it bounce onto its left gear, come back down on the runway, and depart as the wheel separated.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage revealed that the left main tire was torn or ripped across the tread, sidewall, and both beads. The inner tube showed similar damage. No flat spots were noted on the components. The wheel assembly was fractured and broken, but no pre-fracture evidence of defects was noted.