Unplanned Landing on Dry Lake Bed Results in Landing Gear Collapse (N8692K)

Incident Overview and Initial Decision-Making About one hour after departure, the pilot reported that her four-year-old daughter needed to use the bathroom. In response, the pilot decided to land the airplane on a flat dry lake bed. The pilot stated that there were no visible indicators in the surrounding area to determine the wind direction. After consulting with her husband, who was also a pilot, they decided to execute the landing to the west. ## Landing Roll and Damage During the landing roll, the airplane began to ground loop. The pilot attempted to make corrections to the aircraft's movement. However, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing contacted the surface. ## Post-Accident Conditions The pilot reported that after the accident, the wind was blowing from the east at approximately ten knots.