Accident Overview
On March 20, 2014, about 2045 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 17-31ATC, registration N28119, sustained substantial damage after the landing gear collapsed at the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing aileron. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Roosevelt Municipal Airport (74V), Roosevelt, Utah, at about 1950.
Landing and Gear Failure
The pilot reported that during the approach, he conducted his usual pre-landing checklist, which included verifying the landing gear position and indicator lights four separate times. He conducted a normal, uneventful landing. During the landing roll, the landing gear warning indication light activated and the right main landing gear green indicator light extinguished. Subsequently, the right wing dropped to the runway and the airplane slid before coming to a rest just off the runway surface.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination of the landing gear by a mechanic and the pilot revealed that the right main landing gear extension spring appeared to be compressed. When tested, it produced 19-20 pounds of pressure. The extension springs from the nose and left landing gear assemblies were also removed and tested; they both produced about 40 pounds of pressure.
Resolution
The pilot reported that he subsequently purchased and tested three new springs, all of which produced about 44 pounds of pressure. The new springs were installed on the airplane, and no further landing gear anomalies were noted.