What happened
During the final phase of flight, the airplane touched down on the runway and began its landing roll. Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft deviated from the centerline, veering sharply toward the right side of the paved surface. The occupants attempted to maintain directional control by applying left rudder pressure and utilizing the left brake pedal. Despite these corrective efforts, the ground track remained unchanged, and the aircraft continued its deviation off the runway pavement.
The airplane subsequently groundlooped upon leaving the runway surface. Following the incident, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage to determine the mechanical cause of the loss of control during the landing roll.
The investigation
Examination of the airframe by the FAA inspector revealed a critical structural failure in the landing gear assembly. Specifically, the inspector identified that the bolt securing the left main landing gear had separated from its mounting point. This separation compromised the structural integrity and steering capability of the left gear strut during the high-stress phase of the landing roll.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor leading to the runway departure was the mechanical failure of the left main landing gear bolt. The pilot's inability to correct the ground track was directly attributed to this hardware failure rather than a lack of control input. The specific reason for the initial separation of the bolt was not determined during the examination.