Fort Myers, FL, USA
N8320H
Piper PA28RT
The pilot reported that, at the conclusion of an uneventful flight, he approached the runway for landing. During touchdown, the airplane veered right, the left main landing gear (MLG) collapsed, the left wing contacted the runway, and the airplane then came to rest. The left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right MLG wheel assembly was free to rotate about the strut and that the torque link bolt securing the MLG torque link had fractured and was corroded. The landing gear and separated bolt were not examined further.
At the conclusion of an uneventful flight, the commercial pilot approached the runway for landing. During touchdown, the airplane veered right and the left wing contacted the runway before the airplane came to rest. During the accident sequence the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear wheel assembly was free to rotate about the strut, and the bolt securing the torque link had fractured and had a corroded appearance. The landing gear and separated bolt were not examined in further detail.
The fracture of the right main landing gear torque link bolt on landing, which resulted in the landing gear assembly rotating freely, the subsequent loss of directional control, and the landing gear collapsing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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