What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On a written statement, the pilot stated, ?on June 2, 2022 undersigned was landing at runway 9 of the Houston Southwest Airport (axh) in a Cessna 170A with tail number privacy data omitted. The winds reported 010 at 7 knots with thunderstorms in the vicinity. The approach was relatively stable towards the runway despite some significant thermals and downdraft. The left wheel toughed the runway first as the airplane was banking slightly left. The initial touchdown on the left wheel can be described as rather rough as result of a downdraft. The airplane bounced and I applied some back pressure to catch the next transition. The moment the left wheel touched the runway for the second time, the airplane aggressively jerked towards the left. I responded by applying right rudder and full power to go around. From that point I am not able to give an accurate description of what happened as I instantly found myself in a rather violent and confusing environment for a couple of seconds. After the airplane came to a stop, I pulled the power back, turned off all switches and ignition and closed the fuel valve. I debarked the airplane through the right door and distanced myself from the airplane.?
An examination of the aircraft at the scene was performed by the reporting inspector. Tires footprints revealed that the aircraft initially landed in the center of the runway, departed the runway toward the grass where slipped sideways (evidenced by the embedded grass between the tire and the wheel) and then returned to the runway where the left landing gear ends up detached from the fuselage. The aircraft came to a full stop and ended resting on the right main wheel, tail wheel and left wing. The left wing spar suffered substantial damage.
At the left landing gear attachment area the reporting inspector found a nut that appeared to be the nut that secure the attachment bolt, but the bolt was not found. The nut thread was ripped off.
As the FAA filed it
ON A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT STATED, ?ON JUNE 2, 2022 UNDERSIGNED WAS LANDING AT RUNWAY 9 OF THE HOUSTON SOUTHWEST AIRPORT (AXH) IN A CESSNA 170A WITH TAIL NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE WINDS REPORTED 010 AT 7 KNOTS WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VICINITY. THE APPROACH WAS RELATIVELY STABLE TOWARDS THE RUNWAY DESPITE SOME SIGNIFICANT THERMALS AND DOWNDRAFT. THE LEFT WHEEL TOUGHED THE RUNWAY FIRST AS THE AIRPLANE WAS BANKING SLIGHTLY LEFT. THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN ON THE LEFT WHEEL CAN BE DESCRIBED AS RATHER ROUGH AS RESULT OF A DOWNDRAFT. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AND I APPLIED SOME BACK PRESSURE TO CATCH THE NEXT TRANSITION. THE MOMENT THE LEFT WHEEL TOUCHED THE RUNWAY FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE AIRPLANE AGGRESSIVELY JERKED TOWARDS THE LEFT. I RESPONDED BY APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER AND FULL POWER TO GO AROUND. FROM THAT POINT I AM NOT ABLE TO GIVE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED AS I INSTANTLY FOUND MYSELF IN A RATHER VIOLENT AND CONFUSING ENVIRONMENT FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS. AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP, I PULLED THE POWER BACK, TURNED OFF ALL SWITCHES AND IGNITION AND CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE. I DEBARKED THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE RIGHT DOOR AND DISTANCED MYSELF FROM THE AIRPLANE.?
AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE SCENE WAS PERFORMED BY THE REPORTING INSPECTOR. TIRES FOOTPRINTS REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY LANDED IN THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TOWARD THE GRASS WHERE SLIPPED SIDEWAYS (EVIDENCED BY THE EMBEDDED GRASS BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL) AND THEN RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY WHERE THE LEFT LANDING GEAR ENDS UP DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A FULL STOP AND ENDED RESTING ON THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL, TAIL WHEEL AND LEFT WING. THE LEFT WING SPAR SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
AT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT AREA THE REPORTING INSPECTOR FOUND A NUT THAT APPEARED TO BE THE NUT THAT SECURE THE ATTACHMENT BOLT, BUT THE BOLT WAS NOT FOUND. THE NUT THREAD WAS RIPPED OFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.