What happened
During the landing phase, the pilot touched down at an airspeed between 80 and 85 knots. After a brief landing roll, the pilot applied the brakes, at which point the aircraft began pulling to the left toward the grass. In an attempt to maintain control, the pilot pulled back on the control yoke and applied light braking while the aircraft continued toward the unpaved area.
Upon encountering a drainage ditch positioned perpendicular to the runway, the pilot applied power and pulled back on the controls in an effort to clear the obstacle. However, the aircraft contacted the ditch, resulting in the collapse of the landing gear.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft's brakes following the accident found no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. Investigation of the runway surface revealed skid marks that matched the track of the nose gear and the right main gear. No tracks from the left main gear were visible on the runway until the point where the aircraft had moved into the grass.
Safety message
To avoid similar occurrences, it is recommended to reduce touchdown speeds and allow the aircraft to run out and dissipate speed naturally before applying brakes.