Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudged landing flare. A contributing factor was the glare from the sun.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that as he approached the airport, he was unable to see the runway due to the sun being low on the horizon until he was on a close left base for the 10,502 foot-long runway. The pilot stated that he was faster than normal as he leveled the airplane to make a wheel landing about halfway down the runway. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and became airborne. As it settled back onto the runway, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered to the left, struck a taxiway sign, and came to rest upright, adjacent to the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the undercarriage attach points in the fuselage sustained structural damage, and the right main landing gear was separated. No mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine were reported.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that as he approached the airport, he was unable to see the runway due to the sun being low on the horizon until he was on a close left base for the 10,500 foot-long runway. The pilot stated that he was faster than normal as he leveled the airplane to make a wheel landing about halfway down the runway. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and became airborne. As the airplane settled back onto the runway, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered to the left, struck a taxiway sign, and came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the undercarriage attach points in the fuselage sustained structural damage and the right main landing gear was separated. No mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine were reported.