The pilot was landing the airplane on a dry, unpaved airstrip, when the left main landing gear retraction brace assembly (PN 35-815125-2) broke, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aileron. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Examination of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed no record that the brace assembly had ever been replaced during the airframe's time in service of 19,770 hours. The brace is a on-condition replacement part.