Incident Overview
A commercial pilot completed a landing on a 2,630-foot-long, 30-foot-wide asphalt runway. The landing was performed with a direct tailwind of 5 knots. After touchdown, the tail wheel was down and the airplane had decelerated to a taxi speed.
Landing Gear Failure
During the taxi phase, the right landing gear separated from the right landing gear leg. This failure resulted in both wingtips subsequently striking the ground.
Aircraft Damage
The wingtip strikes caused substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Pilot's Report
In his report, the pilot indicated his belief that the axle failed due to hidden corrosion inside the landing gear tubing. He noted that such corrosion would not have been detectable during a normal preflight inspection.