What happened
The pilot was conducting an arrival procedure at the destination airport but was unable to establish radio contact with the Unicom station. Consequently, he elected to proceed with a visual approach and land on Runway 7. At the time of the landing, the wind conditions were recorded as coming from 190 degrees at a speed of 11 knots.
During the landing roll, the aircraft reportedly fishtailed. This lateral instability resulted in structural failure of the undercarriage, specifically causing the left main landing gear to collapse. The airport was equipped with both a wind direction indicator and a landing direction indicator, which were present at the time of the incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear following the reported fishtail. Examination confirmed that the left main gear had collapsed during the rollout phase. The presence of operational wind and landing direction indicators at the facility was noted as part of the airport infrastructure available to the pilot.
Findings
Contributing factors included the crosswind conditions present during the final approach and landing roll. The fishtail event, likely induced by the wind component relative to the runway heading, placed excessive stress on the landing gear assembly. The inability to contact Unicom did not directly cause the mechanical failure but influenced the pilot's decision-making regarding the approach path.
Safety message
Pilots should remain vigilant for crosswind effects during the landing roll, particularly when wind direction indicators suggest conditions that may induce lateral instability. Proper crosswind technique and awareness of runway surface conditions are essential to prevent gear collapse.