The pilot reported that when he entered the traffic pattern he observed the windsock indicating the wind was parallel to the runway. The pilot stated that during the landing the airplane "flared with no drift across the runway and touched down as normal." During the landing roll the left main landing gear collapsed and separated from the airplane, and the left wing impacted the ground. Despite the pilot's control inputs the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway coming to a rest adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage and left wing.

Post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left main landing gear, at the point of separation, contained fractures consistent with fatigue. The Safety Board issued Safety Recommendations A-01-001 and A-01-002 in March 2001, and the FAA issued an "Airworthiness Concern Sheet" in September 2007, both regarding landing gear fatigue on various Cessna airplane models with steel spring landing gear.