Incident Overview
An air taxi flight operating to a privately owned, public-use airport experienced a hard landing that resulted in structural failure of the landing gear and a subsequent runway excursion. The transport category aircraft touched down 7 feet beyond the beginning of the 2500-foot-long runway. The hard-surfaced runway, which was 3/8 inch thick, was inadequate to support the aircraft's landing weight of 9500 pounds. During the landing roll, the left wheel penetrated through the runway surface, creating a 4-inch-deep hole.
Landing Gear Failure and Excursion
As the aircraft continued its landing rollout, the left landing gear broke and separated from the aircraft. The aircraft then veered off the side of the runway and collided with a shallow dirt embankment.
Airport Classification and Information Dissemination
The airport was operated under a State of California permit, issued in the Basic Utility 1 class. It was designed for light aircraft with a gross weight of 6000 pounds or under. This information was not disseminated by the FAA in either its Airport/Facility Directory or on the current Airport Master Record.
Pilot Certification and Runway Requirements
The pilot in command's required first-class airman medical certificate had expired. Additionally, the runway length was shorter than that required for the air taxi operation.
Conclusion
The incident involved multiple factors, including inadequate runway strength, insufficient dissemination of airport limitations, an expired medical certificate, and a runway shorter than required for the operation. No probable cause was officially stated.