What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: upon touchdown after a normal approach with gear extended (handle down) and verified visually down and locked, pilot felt what was described as mushy response from gear- first the left main as it made contact with the runway, then the right main as that side made contact with the runway, upon touchdown. Pilot explained he was landing in a slight crosswind which was why he touched down first on the left then the right. He said as he felt the mushy sensation and assumed gear was not fully supporting the aircraft, he leveled the wings and tried to maintain directional control while holding off the aircraft as long as possible. He felt the tail make contact with the runway and a slight skidding of the aircraft, after which the aircraft came to a rest slightly off center but still on the runway. The nose gear stayed down and locked during the landing and roll out but the mains had collapsed in. The aircraft sustained skin damage on the underside of the tail and on the left elevator counterweight area. No injuries occurred. Airport crew helped lift the plane and the gear was manually extended down. From there it was towed back to the ramp. Following incident plane was inspected and multiple gear swings were performed with no issues. Pilot stated that gear was extended on midfield downwind and that he verified gear down and locked both in the mirror visually and via the gear indicator light which he said was illuminated showing it was down and locked. He stated that he verified gear down and locked both on the midfeild and short and final prior to landing. The plane was inspected following the incident and the landing gear pump was found to have an internal leak.
Root cause analysis: mechanical- gear collapse due to component failure
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: UPON TOUCHDOWN AFTER A NORMAL APPROACH WITH GEAR EXTENDED (HANDLE DOWN) AND VERIFIED VISUALLY DOWN AND LOCKED, PILOT FELT WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS MUSHY RESPONSE FROM GEAR- FIRST THE LEFT MAIN AS IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, THEN THE RIGHT MAIN AS THAT SIDE MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, UPON TOUCHDOWN. PILOT EXPLAINED HE WAS LANDING IN A SLIGHT CROSSWIND WHICH WAS WHY HE TOUCHED DOWN FIRST ON THE LEFT THEN THE RIGHT. HE SAID AS HE FELT THE MUSHY SENSATION AND ASSUMED GEAR WAS NOT FULLY SUPPORTING THE AIRCRAFT, HE LEVELED THE WINGS AND TRIED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE HOLDING OFF THE AIRCRAFT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. HE FELT THE TAIL MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND A SLIGHT SKIDDING OF THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER WHICH THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER BUT STILL ON THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR STAYED DOWN AND LOCKED DURING THE LANDING AND ROLL OUT BUT THE MAINS HAD COLLAPSED IN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SKIN DAMAGE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TAIL AND ON THE LEFT ELEVATOR COUNTERWEIGHT AREA. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. AIRPORT CREW HELPED LIFT THE PLANE AND THE GEAR WAS MANUALLY EXTENDED DOWN. FROM THERE IT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE RAMP. FOLLOWING INCIDENT PLANE WAS INSPECTED AND MULTIPLE GEAR SWINGS WERE PERFORMED WITH NO ISSUES. PILOT STATED THAT GEAR WAS EXTENDED ON MIDFIELD DOWNWIND AND THAT HE VERIFIED GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED BOTH IN THE MIRROR VISUALLY AND VIA THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT WHICH HE SAID WAS ILLUMINATED SHOWING IT WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. HE STATED THAT HE VERIFIED GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED BOTH ON THE MIDFEILD AND SHORT AND FINAL PRIOR TO LANDING. THE PLANE WAS INSPECTED FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT AND THE LANDING GEAR PUMP WAS FOUND TO HAVE AN INTERNAL LEAK.
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS: MECHANICAL- GEAR COLLAPSE DUE TO COMPONENT FAILURE