Incident Overview
Following departure from an uncontrolled airport, the pilot was informed by airport personnel that the left main wheel and tire had separated from the airplane. Despite this, the pilot elected to continue to the intended destination airport. Upon arrival, the pilot flew the aircraft to reduce fuel weight before initiating a landing on runway 30.
Landing and Subsequent Events
During the landing roll, the airplane began to pull to the right. It departed the right side of the runway and subsequently tipped onto its nose. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar.
Pilot's Observations
The pilot reported that he had examined the main wheel bearings two days prior to the flight to verify correct spindle nut tension. He believes that the left wheel spindle nut cotter pin was either inadvertently omitted or not installed correctly during the reinstallation of the wheel on the airplane. The pilot noted that a more thorough inspection of the wheel bearing service work should have been performed, and that a more comprehensive preflight inspection could have identified the issue before departure.