What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Left main gear torque link failed landing. Exited runway into trees. Improper installation by repair station. (-23) on August 29, 1995 at 1535, N6921L a Cessna 310K owned and operated by richard b. smith jr. landed on runway 25, Columbiana airport, East Liverpool, OH. Upon touchdown the torque link on the left main landing gear separted causing the tire to rotate sideways and oscillated causing the aircraft to run off the left side of runway and into the trees doing substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage next to wing attach filling. Examination of the torque links showed a large-area washer, Cessna part no. 0841000-70, was not installed under the bolt head of the bolt holding the upper and lower torque links together. This allowed the bolt head to pull through torque link.
As the FAA filed it
LEFT MAIN GEAR TORQUE LINK FAILED LANDING. EXITED RUNWAY INTO TREES. IMPROPER INSTALLATION BY REPAIR STATION. (-23) ON AUGUST 29, 1995 AT 1535, N6921L A CESSNA 310K OWNED AND OPERATED BY RICHARD B. SMITH JR. LANDED ON RUNWAY 25, COLUMBIANA AIRPORT, EAST LIVERPOOL, OH. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE TORQUE LINK ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARTED CAUSING THE TIRE TO ROTATE SIDEWAYS AND OSCILLATED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO RUN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY AND INTO THE TREES DOING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS AND THE FUSELAGE NEXT TO WING ATTACH FILLING. EXAMINATION OF THE TORQUE LINKS SHOWED A LARGE-AREA WASHER, CESSNA PART NO. 0841000-70, WAS NOT INSTALLED UNDER THE BOLT HEAD OF THE BOLT HOLDING THE UPPER AND LOWER TORQUE LINKS TOGETHER. THIS ALLOWED THE BOLT HEAD TO PULL THROUGH TORQUE LINK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.