An small aircraft landed hard and broke off its left axle in a crosswind, soft surface.

Attributes
ACN	223517
Time
Date	199210
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ak08
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	223517
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

When I arrived at night time, I overflew the field to check conditions. There was standing water on the runway. I entered a downwind leg for runway 20 (200 degrees). There was a quartering headwind from about 240 degrees at 15-20 KTS. I had a stabilized and normal approach until short final, where I experienced a 'sinker'/windshear. I applied power and pitch correction to overcome the windshear. My left main landing gear contacted a lip on the edge of the landing surface which sheared the axle. I realized that at least my left wheel was gone, so rather than risk a go around (not knowing the full extent of the damage), I continued the landing by keeping the weight of the aircraft on the right main as long as possible. When the left strut contacted the runway, I applied maximum right brake and rudder to keep aircraft straight. The aircraft came to a stop on the left side of the runway about 1/2 the length of the runway. There was minor damage to the airplane, including dented wing skin and a broken axle. The airplane was flown back to bethel as was, with the exception of a replaced axle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED HARD AND BROKE OFF ITS L AXLE IN A XWIND, SOFT SURFACE.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT NIGHT TIME, I OVERFLEW THE FIELD TO CHK CONDITIONS. THERE WAS STANDING WATER ON THE RWY. I ENTERED A DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 20 (200 DEGS). THERE WAS A QUARTERING HEADWIND FROM ABOUT 240 DEGS AT 15-20 KTS. I HAD A STABILIZED AND NORMAL APCH UNTIL SHORT FINAL, WHERE I EXPERIENCED A 'SINKER'/WINDSHEAR. I APPLIED PWR AND PITCH CORRECTION TO OVERCOME THE WINDSHEAR. MY L MAIN LNDG GEAR CONTACTED A LIP ON THE EDGE OF THE LNDG SURFACE WHICH SHEARED THE AXLE. I REALIZED THAT AT LEAST MY L WHEEL WAS GONE, SO RATHER THAN RISK A GAR (NOT KNOWING THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE), I CONTINUED THE LNDG BY KEEPING THE WT OF THE ACFT ON THE R MAIN AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE L STRUT CONTACTED THE RWY, I APPLIED MAX R BRAKE AND RUDDER TO KEEP ACFT STRAIGHT. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY ABOUT 1/2 THE LENGTH OF THE RWY. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE, INCLUDING DENTED WING SKIN AND A BROKEN AXLE. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN BACK TO BETHEL AS WAS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A REPLACED AXLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.