Event Description
The incident occurred during a normal wheel landing on runway 15. Shortly after touchdown, the left main landing gear separated from the airframe. The separation resulted from the failure of the U-bolt that attached the left main landing gear to the fuselage. Following the separation, the left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest on the west side of the 4,550-foot runway.
Maintenance and Inspection
A review of the maintenance history of the airplane revealed that the airframe had accumulated a total time of 708 hours. No other maintenance or inspection details were noted in the source.
Metallurgical Evaluation
The failed landing gear U-bolt, part number 1-9805, was shipped to the NTSB Materials Laboratories in Washington, D.C., for metallurgical evaluation. The evaluation determined that the bolt failed as a result of fatigue.