What happened
Following a successful landing on runway 33, the pilot reported that the aircraft began drifting to the left toward the runway turnoff. Wind conditions at the time were from 040 degrees at 8 knots, with occasional gusts reaching 12 knots. As the airplane approached the turnoff area, it suddenly and sharply ground looped to the right.
During this violent maneuver, the left main landing gear collapsed under the stress. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the landing gear assembly due to the abrupt directional change and subsequent impact with the pavement.
The investigation
An FAA inspector conducted a thorough examination of the airplane following the incident. The inspection focused on the structural integrity of the landing gear and surrounding airframe components. The inspector found no evidence of pre-existing fatigue or corrosion that could have contributed to the failure. It was noted that the airplane was equipped with oversize tundra tires, which may have influenced the ground handling characteristics during the event.