What happened
The accident occurred at or shortly after the moment of touchdown. The pilot, who had recently obtained his private pilot certificate, allowed the aircraft to enter a left skid during the landing roll. This loss of directional control was evidenced by skid marks deposited on the runway surface by all three tires.
Following the initial leftward skid, the aircraft reversed direction, moving from left to right. During this reversal maneuver, the right main landing gear collapsed. There were no reports of mechanical malfunction with the aircraft systems prior to the event.
The investigation
Investigators examined the runway surface and the aircraft's landing gear components. Skid marks confirmed the sequence of events: a left skid involving all three tires followed by a reversal that led to the collapse of the right main gear. A thorough inspection found no mechanical malfunction of the aircraft systems.
Environmental conditions were noted as calm winds, ruling out wind-induced drift as a contributing factor.