Narrative:

Upon approach to las vegas area from kingman, az, we entered area via jean, nv, southwest of las vegas. Experienced moderate to severe turbulence while flying under class B airspace. Approximately 15 mi out from vgt, north las vegas airport, I called vgt tower and told them I was unfamiliar with vgt. They cleared me to runway 12, right base approach. Wind was reported 200 degrees at 25+/- KTS, as I recall. Wind had been variable 120-200 degrees. On entering base leg, airport layout was difficult to see, very low contrast to surrounding ground. (I should have overflown airport prior to entering pattern.) I passed through extended centerline of runway 12 and made a 270 degree back to final at the request of tower. Upon entering final for runway 12 the crosswind for runway 12 was quite strong although no significant turbulence. I established a forward slip on final and was able to correct for crosswind but was near limit of aircraft. Full rudder deflection. Final speed was 105- 110 mph approximately (stall 63), 1/2 degree flaps because of high wind. At approximately 40 ft AGL over the numbers while evaluating crosswind and ready to go around and request runway 25 which only had 30 degree crosswind, I experienced turbulence which instantaneously slammed the aircraft to the runway breaking off left main gear above the wheel and bending right gear strut upper pivot and pushing it up through right stub wing. I had added full power and we bounced back into the air and climbed out. Tower informed me we had lost a wheel. We successfully retracted remaining landing gear. Circled airport until emergency equipment could be brought from county fire department, 10 to 15 min estimate. We subsequently made a successful gear up landing on runway 25 with little additional damage to aircraft. In talking with local pilots it was common knowledge that runway 12 normally experiences turbulence under such wind conditions. The tower should not have insisted on runway 12 or rather should have recommended runway 25 to an aircraft not familiar with local conditions. Safety should be foremost in their minds. On my part, I should have been more insistent or assertive regarding proper runway. Turbulence is not as much a problem on runway 25 because there are no airport buildings adjacent to runway as on runway 12.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A HOME BUILT LANCAIR 360 LOST CTL IN GUSTY TURBULENT XWIND CONDITION DURING LNDG AND BOUNCED ONTO THE RWY BREAKING OFF THE L MAIN WHEEL AND BENDING AND PUSHING THE R MAIN GEAR STRUT UP THROUGH THE WING. A GAR WAS MADE AND SUBSEQUENT GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: UPON APCH TO LAS VEGAS AREA FROM KINGMAN, AZ, WE ENTERED AREA VIA JEAN, NV, SW OF LAS VEGAS. EXPERIENCED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB WHILE FLYING UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE. APPROX 15 MI OUT FROM VGT, N LAS VEGAS ARPT, I CALLED VGT TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH VGT. THEY CLRED ME TO RWY 12, R BASE APCH. WIND WAS RPTED 200 DEGS AT 25+/- KTS, AS I RECALL. WIND HAD BEEN VARIABLE 120-200 DEGS. ON ENTERING BASE LEG, ARPT LAYOUT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE, VERY LOW CONTRAST TO SURROUNDING GND. (I SHOULD HAVE OVERFLOWN ARPT PRIOR TO ENTERING PATTERN.) I PASSED THROUGH EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 12 AND MADE A 270 DEG BACK TO FINAL AT THE REQUEST OF TWR. UPON ENTERING FINAL FOR RWY 12 THE XWIND FOR RWY 12 WAS QUITE STRONG ALTHOUGH NO SIGNIFICANT TURB. I ESTABLISHED A FORWARD SLIP ON FINAL AND WAS ABLE TO CORRECT FOR XWIND BUT WAS NEAR LIMIT OF ACFT. FULL RUDDER DEFLECTION. FINAL SPD WAS 105- 110 MPH APPROX (STALL 63), 1/2 DEG FLAPS BECAUSE OF HIGH WIND. AT APPROX 40 FT AGL OVER THE NUMBERS WHILE EVALUATING XWIND AND READY TO GAR AND REQUEST RWY 25 WHICH ONLY HAD 30 DEG XWIND, I EXPERIENCED TURB WHICH INSTANTANEOUSLY SLAMMED THE ACFT TO THE RWY BREAKING OFF L MAIN GEAR ABOVE THE WHEEL AND BENDING R GEAR STRUT UPPER PIVOT AND PUSHING IT UP THROUGH R STUB WING. I HAD ADDED FULL PWR AND WE BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR AND CLBED OUT. TWR INFORMED ME WE HAD LOST A WHEEL. WE SUCCESSFULLY RETRACTED REMAINING LNDG GEAR. CIRCLED ARPT UNTIL EMER EQUIP COULD BE BROUGHT FROM COUNTY FIRE DEPT, 10 TO 15 MIN ESTIMATE. WE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A SUCCESSFUL GEAR UP LNDG ON RWY 25 WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO ACFT. IN TALKING WITH LCL PLTS IT WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT RWY 12 NORMALLY EXPERIENCES TURB UNDER SUCH WIND CONDITIONS. THE TWR SHOULD NOT HAVE INSISTED ON RWY 12 OR RATHER SHOULD HAVE RECOMMENDED RWY 25 TO AN ACFT NOT FAMILIAR WITH LCL CONDITIONS. SAFETY SHOULD BE FOREMOST IN THEIR MINDS. ON MY PART, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INSISTENT OR ASSERTIVE REGARDING PROPER RWY. TURB IS NOT AS MUCH A PROB ON RWY 25 BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ARPT BUILDINGS ADJACENT TO RWY AS ON RWY 12.

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.