Narrative:

We were coming in for landing in alamogordo airport. The main runway 3/21 is closed and the parallel taxiway is approved for use. The winds were 150/29G 31 so we elected to land on parallel taxiway 21. The first officer was flying. After discussing the winds and our aircraft weight (ie, no people on board and 2000 pounds of fuel) I decided to land with flaps in the 17 degree position instead of the full 35 degree because of the aircraft's light weight and the strong gusts at the field. I determined our reference speed to be 125 KTS. Upon final approach the wind was extremely gusty and there was windshear up to 15 KTS. When the aircraft was in the flare the left wing dropped and left main touched the ground. The aircraft bounced back into the air and wxvaned into the wind. I called for a go around. Upon gear retraction, I noticed there was a red disagreement light in the handle stating that all or 1 of the gear were not up. I looked at the left landing gear and did visually confirm it was up. I cycled the gear twice and decided it was safe (at all times I had 3 green lights in the down position). On second landing, winds weren't quite as gusty. When the aircraft began to contact the runway and more weight was placed on the wheels it started to veer to the left and went off the runway. Once in the dirt (between the closed runway 21/3 and the taxiway) we were able to straighten it back out and dissipate our airspeed and turn the aircraft back on the runway (a distance of about 300 ft we went in the dirt). I shut the aircraft down at that point. Upon inspection of the aircraft I found the brake line wrapped around the wheels once and the torque knee bolt missing, indicating the wheels (on left) had spun around 1 time. We later found the bolt -- it was intact and had come loose from the lock nut. Supplemental information from acn 234105: we shut the aircraft down. Only abnormal thing found was left main tires scrubbed (sideways) and missing torque link bolt. Bolt was later found next day on runway intact missing a retaining nut. It appears the left main wheel was free castering without a torque link coupling upon landing. My contention the aircraft was operated in normal limitations and the failure of the torque link caused a temporary loss of control upon landing. Therefore, no pilot error involved. No passenger were on the flight and the proper notification to authorities were made via the company.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CTL FORCES LTT INTO A TXWY EXCURSION DURING A LNDG PROC XWIND LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE COMING IN FOR LNDG IN ALAMOGORDO ARPT. THE MAIN RWY 3/21 IS CLOSED AND THE PARALLEL TXWY IS APPROVED FOR USE. THE WINDS WERE 150/29G 31 SO WE ELECTED TO LAND ON PARALLEL TXWY 21. THE FO WAS FLYING. AFTER DISCUSSING THE WINDS AND OUR ACFT WT (IE, NO PEOPLE ON BOARD AND 2000 LBS OF FUEL) I DECIDED TO LAND WITH FLAPS IN THE 17 DEG POS INSTEAD OF THE FULL 35 DEG BECAUSE OF THE ACFT'S LIGHT WT AND THE STRONG GUSTS AT THE FIELD. I DETERMINED OUR REF SPD TO BE 125 KTS. UPON FINAL APCH THE WIND WAS EXTREMELY GUSTY AND THERE WAS WINDSHEAR UP TO 15 KTS. WHEN THE ACFT WAS IN THE FLARE THE L WING DROPPED AND L MAIN TOUCHED THE GND. THE ACFT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR AND WXVANED INTO THE WIND. I CALLED FOR A GAR. UPON GEAR RETRACTION, I NOTICED THERE WAS A RED DISAGREEMENT LIGHT IN THE HANDLE STATING THAT ALL OR 1 OF THE GEAR WERE NOT UP. I LOOKED AT THE L LNDG GEAR AND DID VISUALLY CONFIRM IT WAS UP. I CYCLED THE GEAR TWICE AND DECIDED IT WAS SAFE (AT ALL TIMES I HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS IN THE DOWN POS). ON SECOND LNDG, WINDS WEREN'T QUITE AS GUSTY. WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN TO CONTACT THE RWY AND MORE WT WAS PLACED ON THE WHEELS IT STARTED TO VEER TO THE L AND WENT OFF THE RWY. ONCE IN THE DIRT (BTWN THE CLOSED RWY 21/3 AND THE TXWY) WE WERE ABLE TO STRAIGHTEN IT BACK OUT AND DISSIPATE OUR AIRSPD AND TURN THE ACFT BACK ON THE RWY (A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 300 FT WE WENT IN THE DIRT). I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AT THAT POINT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ACFT I FOUND THE BRAKE LINE WRAPPED AROUND THE WHEELS ONCE AND THE TORQUE KNEE BOLT MISSING, INDICATING THE WHEELS (ON L) HAD SPUN AROUND 1 TIME. WE LATER FOUND THE BOLT -- IT WAS INTACT AND HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE LOCK NUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 234105: WE SHUT THE ACFT DOWN. ONLY ABNORMAL THING FOUND WAS L MAIN TIRES SCRUBBED (SIDEWAYS) AND MISSING TORQUE LINK BOLT. BOLT WAS LATER FOUND NEXT DAY ON RWY INTACT MISSING A RETAINING NUT. IT APPEARS THE L MAIN WHEEL WAS FREE CASTERING WITHOUT A TORQUE LINK COUPLING UPON LNDG. MY CONTENTION THE ACFT WAS OPERATED IN NORMAL LIMITATIONS AND THE FAILURE OF THE TORQUE LINK CAUSED A TEMPORARY LOSS OF CTL UPON LNDG. THEREFORE, NO PLT ERROR INVOLVED. NO PAX WERE ON THE FLT AND THE PROPER NOTIFICATION TO AUTHORITIES WERE MADE VIA THE COMPANY.

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.