What happened
During the landing phase at McCarran International Airport (MVN), an aircraft performed a left base turn at a high power setting. A witness observed that the aircraft's descent profile did not appear normal, noting that it crossed the runway threshold approximately 35 feet above ground level before power was reduced to idle. The aircraft leveled at roughly 30 feet and then settled to between 5 and 10 feet above the ground.
As the aircraft approached the intersecting runway, it dropped and landed on all three landing gear. This resulted in a hard landing that caused substantial damage to the airplane. A large cloud of smoke was observed rising from all three wheels. Following a ground roll of approximately 100 feet, the aircraft settled onto its left wing, at which point the propeller made contact with the ground. The left main landing gear subsequently collapsed, causing the aircraft to depart the left side of the runway and strike two runway lights.
Weather conditions recorded by the MVN Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at 1755 were clear skies with winds from 020 degrees at 5 knots. By 1855, conditions remained clear with calm winds.
Findings
- The pilot's most recent flight review was completed in July 1986.
- The pilot's most recent medical certificate was issued on May 11, 19 $ ext{99}$.
- No injuries were reported.