What happened
The pilot was in the process of delivering an aircraft to a new airstrip. Prior to the flight, the pilot had been driven to the site to inspect the runway conditions for the inaugural landing.
During the approach to land to the south, the pilot lined up to land on the east side of the new runway. The aircraft touched down on an unimproved portion of the airstrip. As the aircraft continued its landing roll on this unimproved surface, it reached a speed of approximately 25 knots when the landing gear struck a swale. Although the pilot had been briefed about the presence of such a swale earlier, the impact caused the right main landing gear to collapse.
The investigation
The investigation examined the damage to the right main landing gear and compared it to the physical evidence present at the accident site. Investigators determined that the severity of the damage found on the gear was not compatible with the impact of hitting a low rise of soft dirt at the recorded speed.
Furthermore, the operator, the pilot, the drop zone manager, and an FAA inspector all concurred that the failure of the landing gear was not a direct result of impacting the swale. A review of the aircraft records showed no previous history of accidents or damage that would account for such a failure. Ultimately, the specific reason for the failure of the right main landing gear could not be verified.