What happened
The approach to Panama City-Bay County International Airport was reported as uneventful. After lowering the landing gear and confirming all three indicators were green, the pilot completed the landing checklist. The Cessna (type not specified in source) touchdown occurred with full flaps, followed by the application of moderate reverse thrust and light braking.
Approximately halfway through the landing rollout, air traffic control notified the pilot of smoke emanating from the left main gear. Shortly thereafter, the left wing dipped approximately one foot, and the left landing gear collapsed. The propeller made contact with the runway, causing the aircraft to rotate left by about 70 degrees before coming to rest upright on runway 23. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
An examination of the left main landing gear cylinder top brace assembly (P/N 404-188406) was conducted by the NTSB Materials Laboratory. The analysis revealed evidence of overstress on all fracture surfaces.