C210 PLT HAS MAIN LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE DURING LNDG AT KLAL.

Narrative

THE WX AT LAKELAND WAS NIGHT VMC WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. RWY 9 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. I CAME FROM OCALA AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO RPT A 3 MI L BASE TO RWY 9. I CROSSED INTXN 4 AT ABOUT 1200 FT AND 140 KTS; RPTED 3 MI AND BEGAN TO CONFIGURE THE PLANE. I LOWERED 10 DEGS OF FLAPS AND THE GEAR AROUND 130 KTS. THE FLAPS AND GEAR EXTENDED AND APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND RWY 9 AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. I CHKED THE GEAR LIGHT AND SAW MY GREEN LIGHT. I LOWERED 20 DEGS OF FLAPS BELOW 115 KTS AND JUST BEFORE RETURNING BASE. THE PWR WAS BACK JUST BELOW 15 LBS AND I LOOKED TO BE ON A GOOD VISUAL GLIDE PATH FOR RWY 9. ON FINAL I LOWERED 30 DEGS OF FLAPS; CHKED MY GEAR LIGHT AGAIN; AND THEN FOCUSED ON THE RWY. AT NIGHT I CANNOT SEE MY GEAR AND TRUSTED MY GEAR LIGHT. MY PWR WAS BACK XING THE THRESHOLD AND I LOOKED TO BE ON SPD AND ON CTR. MY AIM POINT WAS 1000 FT DOWN ON CTRLINE. I FLARED THE AIRPLANE FOR TOUCHDOWN AND FELT THE MAIN GEAR FOLLOWED BY THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHDOWN. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD GREASED THE LNDG AND WAS QUITE HAPPY. THE PLANE SEEMED TO HOLD A LNDG ATTITUDE AS IT SLOWED DOWN. THE PLANE THEN BEGAN TO LEAN BACK AS IF THE GEAR WAS ROLLING BACK. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD A FLAT TIRE; BUT THE PLANE SEEMED TO LEAN BACK TOO FAR. I APPLIED AILERONS; BRAKES; AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE PLANE STRAIGHT. I THOUGHT FIRST OF APPLYING PWR TO GO AROUND; BUT CHOOSE TO FIGHT TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ON CTRLINE AND STOP STRAIGHT AHEAD DUE TO SLOW SPD AND CTLABILITY. AS THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP; IT HOOKED TO THE L 180 DEGS AND CAME TO REST FACING THE APCH END ON THE RWY AND LEANING ON ITS R SIDE. I SHUT THE ENG OFF AND CALLED THE TWR TO RPT THE MISHAP AND THAT I WAS ALL RIGHT. I CLEANED UP THE PLANE AND SHUT OFF ALL THE ELECTRIC SWITCHES AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL THEN I CLBED OUT AND INSPECTED THE PLANE. I SAW THE PLANE RESTING ON ITS MAIN LNDG GEAR TO THE AFT. I SAW FUEL LEAKING FROM THE R WINGTIP AND TURNED THE RADIO ON AGAIN TO REQUEST A FIRE TRUCK AND THEN I WAITED FOR THEM TO SHOW. IN CLOSING; I NEED TO POINTOUT THAT I CHKED THE GEAR LIGHT ON BASE AND ON FINAL AND SAW A GREEN LIGHT. AT NO TIME DID THE GEAR WARNING HORN GO OFF; AND I ASSUMED THAT I HAD SAFE GEAR. WHEN THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP AND WAS RESTING ON THE COLLAPSED GEAR; THE GREEN LIGHT REMAINED ON. I SPOKE WITH A MAINT INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA THAT EVENING AND TOLD HIM OF THIS FACT AT THE AIRPLANE. AT NIGHT I CANNOT SEE MY GEAR OUTSIDE AND I HAD SAFE INDICATIONS THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED; BUT IT WAS NOT. THIS INCIDENT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE; BUT I BELIEVE THAT I DID THE BEST THAT I COULD DO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL DID NOT COLLAPSE AND THAT ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. POSTFLT MAINT FOUND A DEFECTIVE PART ON THE MAIN LNDG GEAR DOWNLOCK.