What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departed kpsp at approximately 0900 5 may with destination kchd estimating 2 hours enroute. Aircraft tanks were full at 84 gal. Winds at takeoff were calm. Takeoff was uneventful. Cleared by psp tower to contact socal approach that provided flight following service until I canceled their flight following about blythe CA. About 10 minutes before arrival at Chandler AZ (~1050 hrs) I tuned in kchd ATIS. I recall reported winds were 10K gusting to about 16K from 070DEG-080DEG. I radioed Chandler tower about 15 miles out with ATIS code and location asking for a full stop. They cleared me for a straight in full stop on runway 4R. I configured for landing at about 3 miles out using 2 notches of flaps (20DEG). I slowed to final approach speed at about 66KIAS. Alignment on final required about 10 deg of crab to the right but was stable and not too bumpy. About 800 ft short of intended touchdown point (just beyond the numbers), I reduced power to idle, slowly applied rudder to align the fuselage with runway centerline and bled in right aileron to counter crosswind effects. Touchdown was just beyond the numbers in 3-point attitude. With a slight bounce of the mains as they touched. Rollout initially was normal with full right aileron countering wind and rudder to maintain alignment. Shortly after touchdown, I perceived a gust lifting my right wing. I held full right aileron and full aft yoke keeping the tail wheel on the ground and used rudder to maintain alignment . Airspeed was about 40KIAS at that time. Immediately, the left main gear collapsed, the left wing contacted the runway and the aircraft slid to a stop headed straight down the runway just to the right of centerline. Pilot and passenger exited the aircraft through the right door. Before exiting, I shut off mags, battery and fuel selector and pulled the main fuel shutoff to the cutoff position. One blade of the prop was bent back by ground contact and one blade tip was scratched. I found the left main gear about 15 yards behind the aircraft with the main attachment bolt still in the attachment hole with no nut.
Chandler airfield personnel and fire dept arrived about 15 minutes after the incident. There was no fire and only a slight fuel drip from the left wing vent that was contained by fire department personnel.
There were no injuries to pilot or passenger and no other damage created.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTED KPSP AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 5 MAY WITH DESTINATION KCHD ESTIMATING 2 HOURS ENROUTE. AIRCRAFT TANKS WERE FULL AT 84 GAL. WINDS AT TAKEOFF WERE CALM. TAKEOFF WAS UNEVENTFUL. CLEARED BY PSP TOWER TO CONTACT SOCAL APPROACH THAT PROVIDED FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICE UNTIL I CANCELED THEIR FLIGHT FOLLOWING ABOUT BLYTHE CA. ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE ARRIVAL AT CHANDLER AZ (~1050 HRS) I TUNED IN KCHD ATIS. I RECALL REPORTED WINDS WERE 10K GUSTING TO ABOUT 16K FROM 070DEG-080DEG. I RADIOED CHANDLER TOWER ABOUT 15 MILES OUT WITH ATIS CODE AND LOCATION ASKING FOR A FULL STOP. THEY CLEARED ME FOR A STRAIGHT IN FULL STOP ON RUNWAY 4R. I CONFIGURED FOR LANDING AT ABOUT 3 MILES OUT USING 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS (20DEG). I SLOWED TO FINAL APPROACH SPEED AT ABOUT 66KIAS. ALIGNMENT ON FINAL REQUIRED ABOUT 10 DEG OF CRAB TO THE RIGHT BUT WAS STABLE AND NOT TOO BUMPY. ABOUT 800 FT SHORT OF INTENDED TOUCHDOWN POINT (JUST BEYOND THE NUMBERS), I REDUCED POWER TO IDLE, SLOWLY APPLIED RUDDER TO ALIGN THE FUSELAGE WITH RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND BLED IN RIGHT AILERON TO COUNTER CROSSWIND EFFECTS. TOUCHDOWN WAS JUST BEYOND THE NUMBERS IN 3-POINT ATTITUDE. WITH A SLIGHT BOUNCE OF THE MAINS AS THEY TOUCHED. ROLLOUT INITIALLY WAS NORMAL WITH FULL RIGHT AILERON COUNTERING WIND AND RUDDER TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, I PERCEIVED A GUST LIFTING MY RIGHT WING. I HELD FULL RIGHT AILERON AND FULL AFT YOKE KEEPING THE TAIL WHEEL ON THE GROUND AND USED RUDDER TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT . AIRSPEED WAS ABOUT 40KIAS AT THAT TIME. IMMEDIATELY, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP HEADED STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY JUST TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE RIGHT DOOR. BEFORE EXITING, I SHUT OFF MAGS, BATTERY AND FUEL SELECTOR AND PULLED THE MAIN FUEL SHUTOFF TO THE CUTOFF POSITION. ONE BLADE OF THE PROP WAS BENT BACK BY GROUND CONTACT AND ONE BLADE TIP WAS SCRATCHED. I FOUND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ABOUT 15 YARDS BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE MAIN ATTACHMENT BOLT STILL IN THE ATTACHMENT HOLE WITH NO NUT.
CHANDLER AIRFIELD PERSONNEL AND FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ONLY A SLIGHT FUEL DRIP FROM THE LEFT WING VENT THAT WAS CONTAINED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL.
THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGER AND NO OTHER DAMAGE CREATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.