What happened
The flight departed from Marsh Harbor with a delay of approximately 30 to 40 minutes. During the initial climb to 6,700 feet, the pilot attempted to establish radio communication with an unidentified station but was unsuccessful. Passengers noted that the pilot appeared agitated and observed that the left alternator light was illuminated; however, the pilot dismissed the warning as a routine occurrence.
As the flight progressed, the aircraft descended to 3,000 feet. After spotting a vessel in the ocean, the pilot descended further to roughly 1,000 feet while continuing attempts to use the radio. Upon approaching the coast and preparing for landing on runway 27L, the aircraft performed an abrupt left turn to align with the runway.
Upon touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed, followed by the collapse of the left gear. The aircraft slid off the right side of the runway and collided with runway visual range (RVR) equipment. The pilot reported that the initial rollout was stable for several hundred feet before the failure occurred, noting that the nose eventually struck an RVR antenna.
Findings
An investigation by an FAA Inspector revealed that the aircraft was over gross weight at the time of departure from Marsh Harbor. The inspector noted that the pilot appeared flustered due to ongoing radio issues. It was concluded that the pilot's abrupt turn during the landing pattern caused a side overload, which led to the immediate collapse of the right gear. Additionally, both landing gear trunnions exhibited damage consistent with being overloaded.