Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 210; Flight Crew Total 650; Flight Crew Type 610
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Aircraft
When I started the flight I had a normal taxi and run-up nothing seemed to be out of place. I experienced a normal takeoff with no abnormalities. Once at altitude my student pointed out the fact that [the] flap had become dented during some phase of flight. At this point I decided to stop the flight and head back to ZZZ. Because the flap was dented I decided that I would take the controls and do a flapless landing. When I started to land I put the weight of the aircraft on the main wheels and noticed that the left main wheel was now missing as the left wing started to keep getting lower and lower. I then decided to cut the mixture and come to a complete stop on the runway and wait for assistance. What I think happened is the one of the bolts that hold in the landing gear came loose and on takeoff came undone and took the rest of the landing gear with it. On preflight I did not see anything out of place as well as on taxi and run-up. When we got out the aircraft like I thought there was no landing gear and I made the right call to cut the mixture on the runway. All things considered I think I did the best I could have for the situation; which is minimum damage to the aircraft and no one was hurt.
PA-28 instructor pilot reported the left main gear departed the aircraft at some point; and a landing was made with it missing.