Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15.6; Flight Crew Total 2557.0; Flight Crew Type 2557.0
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Human Factors; Aircraft; Weather
Encountered heavy traffic while holding. Decided to divert to land and wait for better traffic conditions. AWOS reported 8 knot crosswind with some gusting. At roundout for landing sensed increasing sink rate. Applied full power to slow sink rate but experienced hard landing. At touchdown; the right main wheel assembly departed the aircraft. Aircraft veered to the right off the runway into soft ground and stopped. Two passengers and the pilot exited the aircraft through the right and left doors. No one was injured. In light of the high traffic and hot and humid weather conditions; flying a longer downwind leg would have given me more time to adjust to flight conditions and make a better landing. On inspecting the right main gear assembly; two days post event; there were signs of corrosion and what appeared to be fatigue fractures at the end of the gear strut. I believe the hard landing probably precipitated an already impending failure.
C182 pilot reported the right main wheel departed the aircraft after a hard landing in crosswind conditions.