TOO HIGH A SINK RATE RESULTS IN HARD TOUCHDOWN; A GAR AND GEAR FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A PARTIAL GEAR UP LNDG AT LONG BEACH; CA.

Narrative

AS THE ACFT WAS OVER THE RWY ON THE LAST PORTION OF FINAL APCH (IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE LAST PORTION OF THE FLARE); I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT BEGAN TO SINK AT A GREATER RATE THAN WAS APPROPRIATE OR NORMAL FOR THE AIRSPD; PWR AND ALT. AS A RESULT; I ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE NOSE ATTITUDE IN ORDER TO ASSIST IN EXECUTING A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WHILE KEEPING THE PWR IN FOR LNDG. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO ARREST THE DSCNT RATE AND I THEN INCREASED THE PWR TO GO AROUND. THE SINK RATE DID NOT REDUCE SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE DOWNDRAFT AND STOP THE MAIN GEAR HITTING THE RWY WITH A DEG OF FORCE. THE COMBINATION OF THE INCREASED PWR; ACFT ATTITUDE AND IMPACT OF THE MAIN GEAR ON THE RWY ALLOWED FOR A STRAIGHT TRANSITION TO GOING AROUND. A LOW APCH IN VIEW OF THE TWR CONFIRMED A PROB WITH THE L MAIN GEAR (THAT IT WAS DANGLING AND SWAYING LIMPLY FROM THE ACFT). THIS WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY VIRTUE OF THE INABILITY OF THE GEAR TO RETRACT; THE GEAR WARNING INDICATOR AND A R YAWING TENDENCY. AFTER OVER 1 HR OF BURNING AND XFERRING FUEL FROM THE L TANK; SHIFTING WT TO THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE; CONSIDERING ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED PEOPLE ON THE GND; BRIEFING THE PAX AND REHEARSING THE PROCS TO EXECUTE A 2/3 GEAR LNDG. I LANDED THE PLANE ON RWY 7R (TO HAVE A R XWIND) WITH WHAT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE MINIMAL DAMAGE TO ACFT IN LIGHT OF THE SIT (BENT FLAP DUE TO LIMP UNDERCARRIAGE AND SOME SCRAPING OF AILERON TRAILING EDGE). THE PROPS WERE FEATHERED ON FLARE AND ENG AND ELECTRICS SECURED. I BELIEVE THE DECISION TO GO AROUND ON THE ORIGINAL APCH; AT THE TIME I MADE IT; ASSISTED THE AIRPLANE IN CONTINUING FLT IN SPITE OF THE SHEARED L GEAR STRUT. A VALUABLE LESSON LIES WITHIN THE INCIDENT -- THAT AS SOON AS ONE FEELS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A SMOOTH; SAFE LNDG BEING COMPROMISED FOR ANY REASON -- DO NOT HESITATE TO IMMEDIATELY GO AROUND.