Incident Overview
The pilot of the airplane reported that during the landing rollout on runway 9L, the airplane experienced a weather vane to the right. In response, he applied left rudder and left braking inputs. Despite these corrections, the left main landing gear separated. Subsequently, the left wing and the propeller impacted the runway surface, causing the airplane to pivot to the left and come to an abrupt stop.
Air Traffic Control Account
According to the Opa Locka air traffic controller, the airplane was cleared to land on runway 9L. Upon touchdown, the left side of the airplane collapsed, and the airplane veered to the left.
Postcrash Examination
An FAA inspector conducted postcrash examinations of the accident airplane on November 11 and 12, 2004. The inspector noted that the airplane exhibited signatures consistent with a hard landing. Examination of the landing gear fracture surfaces revealed no evidence of fatigue. Additionally, the inspector stated that there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or its systems.