Narrative:

After an uneventful landing on runway 17L at apa; I rolled out for approximately 1000 ft to exit at taxiway A8. The engines were at idle (1000 RPM). I was halfway through my left turn on to taxiway A8 and the aircraft dropped on the left wing. I observed a propeller strike; the left engine shut down and the aircraft came to a complete stop. I shut down the right engine; secured the aircraft; and exited the cabin. This occurred within 30 seconds. Emergency equipment was dispatched. On the roll out; I had slowed the aircraft sufficiently to exit the runway without braking. The three landing gear lights were illuminated. After exiting the aircraft and securing the area; it was observed that the left landing gear strut had sheared off above the brake casting assembly. The gear assembly was still in the down and locked position. The gear did not collapse. My assumption is that the metal on the left strut had fatigued to the point of failure. There was nothing indicating a problem during the preflight inspection. I was returning from a cross country trip during which time I made five successful full stop lndgs and taxi back for takeoff. I made a normal landing at apa on runway 17L. The wind was 230 at 04. No substantial crosswind; no wind shear; VMC conditions. All indications were that there would be a normal taxi procedure back to the ramp.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the landing gear strut was in the down and lock position; but the strut piston failed. The preflight inspection would not have revealed the piston crack; as this portion of the piston was inside the strut.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA44; ON LNDG ROLLOUT AND TXWY TURNOFF HAD THE L LNDG GEAR STRUT FAIL; CAUSING THE L WING TO DROP; AND INCUR A PROP STRIKE.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 17L AT APA; I ROLLED OUT FOR APPROX 1000 FT TO EXIT AT TXWY A8. THE ENGS WERE AT IDLE (1000 RPM). I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH MY L TURN ON TO TXWY A8 AND THE ACFT DROPPED ON THE L WING. I OBSERVED A PROP STRIKE; THE L ENG SHUT DOWN AND THE ACFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I SHUT DOWN THE R ENG; SECURED THE ACFT; AND EXITED THE CABIN. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN 30 SECONDS. EMER EQUIP WAS DISPATCHED. ON THE ROLL OUT; I HAD SLOWED THE ACFT SUFFICIENTLY TO EXIT THE RWY WITHOUT BRAKING. THE THREE LNDG GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. AFTER EXITING THE ACFT AND SECURING THE AREA; IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE L LNDG GEAR STRUT HAD SHEARED OFF ABOVE THE BRAKE CASTING ASSEMBLY. THE GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS STILL IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. THE GEAR DID NOT COLLAPSE. MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE METAL ON THE L STRUT HAD FATIGUED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. THERE WAS NOTHING INDICATING A PROB DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION. I WAS RETURNING FROM A XCOUNTRY TRIP DURING WHICH TIME I MADE FIVE SUCCESSFUL FULL STOP LNDGS AND TAXI BACK FOR TKOF. I MADE A NORMAL LNDG AT APA ON RWY 17L. THE WIND WAS 230 AT 04. NO SUBSTANTIAL CROSSWIND; NO WIND SHEAR; VMC CONDITIONS. ALL INDICATIONS WERE THAT THERE WOULD BE A NORMAL TAXI PROC BACK TO THE RAMP.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE LNDG GEAR STRUT WAS IN THE DOWN AND LOCK POSITION; BUT THE STRUT PISTON FAILED. THE PREFLT INSPECTION WOULD NOT HAVE REVEALED THE PISTON CRACK; AS THIS PORTION OF THE PISTON WAS INSIDE THE STRUT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.