A RYAN NAVION SHORTLY AFTER TKOF DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO BEING ADVISED THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY FELL OFF. FOUND NO COTTER PINS INSTALLED IN L AND R WHEEL AXLE NUTS.

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I HAD MY ANNUAL COMPLETED ON 5/SAT/04 AND WAS ON MY 4TH FLT SINCE THEN. AFTER DEPARTING THE ARPT; I TURNED N AND SAW A TOUR PLANE AND MADE CONTACT WITH IT TO ASSURE CLRNC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I SWITCHED TO THE ZZZ1 FREQ AND THE SAME TOUR PLANE CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME ZZZ WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ME; THEY BELIEVED SOMETHING FELL OFF THE AIRPLANE. I TURNED BACK TO ZZZ AND MADE CONTACT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT A NEIGHBOR SAW A WHEEL FALL OFF. I MADE A PASS OVER THE RWY APPROX 50 FT WITH GEAR DOWN TO VERIFY IF THE GEAR WAS STILL INTACT. A GND OBSERVER CONFIRMED I WAS MISSING MY L MAIN WHEEL AND TIRE. I CLBED UP TO 6500 FT TO EVALUATE THE SIT AND MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT LNDG. WE DECIDED TO LAND AT ZZZ2. REASONING IS THE BEGINNING OF THAT RWY HAD MORE OF AN INCLINE AND I WAS IN HOPES THAT IT WOULD ASSIST IN SLOWING US DOWN. THE WINDS WERE CALM AT THAT POINT TOO. I RADIOED THE FBO AT ZZZ2 AND TOLD THEM OF THE SIT. THEY WERE COOPERATIVE AND WERE REDIRECTING TFC IMMEDIATELY. THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AND THEY ASKED IF I COULD WAIT UNTIL THE FIRE DEPT WAS READY. THAT WAS NOT A PROB; THE PLANE HAD PLENTY (25-30 GALS) OF FUEL. I DECIDED THE SAFEST WAY TO LAND WOULD BE TO LEAVE THE GEAR UP AND FULL FLAPS. I WENT THROUGH MY MIND AND THE ORDER OF TASKS I WAS GOING TO PERFORM WHEN I WAS GOING TO LAND THE AIRPLANE. THE CHILDREN WERE TOLD WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEN WHEN THE FIRE DEPT WAS READY; I DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT AND PERFORMED NORMAL L HAND TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 14. WHEN I KNEW THE RWY WAS MADE I SECURED ELECTRICAL POWER AND PULLED MIXTURE ALL OF THE WAY OUT. I TOUCHED DOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NUMBERS AND SLID APPROX 673 FT. THE WHEEL AND TIRE WAS FOUND AND BROUGHT TO THE ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF THE WHEEL COVER AND FOUND THE CASTLE NUT; BEARING; SPACER; SEAL. IT APPEARS THERE WAS NOT A COTTER PIN INSTALLED TO RETAIN THE NUT. WE JACKED UP THE AIRPLANE BORROWED A WHEEL AND TIRE AND ROLLED THE AIRPLANE OFF OF THE RWY. EVERYONE ONBOARD WAS FINE AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PROPELLER WAS STILL TURNING SO THE PROPELLER IS BENT. THE FRONT TIRE HELD THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE OFF THE GND BECAUSE WHEN RETRACTED; IT STICKS OUT 4-6 FT. THE FLAPS AND THE FLAP HINGE/HANGERS KEPT THE REST OF THE AIRPLANE OFF OF THE RWY. THE BELLY DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE DID NOT SUSTAIN SERIOUS DAMAGE BUT VIDEOS TAKEN PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN SHOWED THE PROP WAS STILL TURNING. THE RPTR STATED WHEN ON JACKS; THE R WHEEL WAS PULLED OFF AND NO COTTER PIN WAS INSTALLED IN THAT AXLE NUT; SO BOTH MAIN GEAR CASTELATED AXLE NUTS WERE MISSING COTTER PINS. THE RPTR SAID NO WHEEL AND TIRE REMOVAL WORK HAS BEEN DONE SINCE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION.