What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on January 8, 1996, Beechcraft dutchess, B-76, N6718X, was conducting touch and go landings at Torrance Municipal Airport, Torrance, CA. At 1430 PST witnesses on the ground reported to the toa ATCT that the front tire had departed the aircraft during the last take-off. Toa ATCT notified pilot erik nielsen and his passenger/aircraft owner robert prince of condition, and a low approach was conducted to confirm situation. Aircraft was operated over the ocean to burn off excess fuel prior to landing. Approach and landing accomplished at 1456 PST on runway 29R. Pilot was able to hold nose strut off the runway until reaching a slow roll out speed, and the nose strut remained in the down-and-locked position upon contacting the runway. Aircraft remained straight during roll out and skidded to a stop without injuries to either occupant. Subsequent aircraft inspection revealed the nose strut ground down to approximately one-half the diameter of the axle shaft. Nose wheel was located and inspection revealed the inner bearing and associated hardware missing, with the inner bearing race cocked and jammed inside the wheel assembly. Outer nose wheel nut and associated hardw are were not located. Interview with pilot and aircraft owner revealed that a nose wheel shimmy was felt on take off just prior to nose wheel coming off, and that prior take-offs and landings were uneventful. Aircraft owner stated that aircraft had been recently painted, with all landing gear being removed for detail painting, but witness (aircraft owner's son) reported that all nose wheel hardware, including nut and cotter pin, were in wheel assembly just prior to incident flight. Cause of nose wheel to become detached from axle/strut cannot be positively determined so this report is closed without further action.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 8, 1996, BEECHCRAFT DUTCHESS, B-76, N6718X, WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT TORRANCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, TORRANCE, CA. AT 1430 PST WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED TO THE TOA ATCT THAT THE FRONT TIRE HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LAST TAKE-OFF. TOA ATCT NOTIFIED PILOT ERIK NIELSEN AND HIS PASSENGER/AIRCRAFT OWNER ROBERT PRINCE OF CONDITION, AND A LOW APPROACH WAS CONDUCTED TO CONFIRM SITUATION. AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED OVER THE OCEAN TO BURN OFF EXCESS FUEL PRIOR TO LANDING. APPROACH AND LANDING ACCOMPLISHED AT 1456 PST ON RUNWAY 29R. PILOT WAS ABLE TO HOLD NOSE STRUT OFF THE RUNWAY UNTIL REACHING A SLOW ROLL OUT SPEED, AND THE NOSE STRUT REMAINED IN THE DOWN-AND-LOCKED POSITION UPON CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT REMAINED STRAIGHT DURING ROLL OUT AND SKIDDED TO A STOP WITHOUT INJURIES TO EITHER OCCUPANT. SUBSEQUENT AIRCRAFT INSPECTION REVEALED THE NOSE STRUT GROUND DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF THE DIAMETER OF THE AXLE SHAFT. NOSE WHEEL WAS LOCATED AND INSPECTION REVEALED THE INNER BEARING AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE MISSING, WITH THE INNER BEARING RACE COCKED AND JAMMED INSIDE THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY. OUTER NOSE WHEEL NUT AND ASSOCIATED HARDW ARE WERE NOT LOCATED. INTERVIEW WITH PILOT AND AIRCRAFT OWNER REVEALED THAT A NOSE WHEEL SHIMMY WAS FELT ON TAKE OFF JUST PRIOR TO NOSE WHEEL COMING OFF, AND THAT PRIOR TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS WERE UNEVENTFUL. AIRCRAFT OWNER STATED THAT AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN RECENTLY PAINTED, WITH ALL LANDING GEAR BEING REMOVED FOR DETAIL PAINTING, BUT WITNESS (AIRCRAFT OWNER'S SON) REPORTED THAT ALL NOSE WHEEL HARDWARE, INCLUDING NUT AND COTTER PIN, WERE IN WHEEL ASSEMBLY JUST PRIOR TO INCIDENT FLIGHT. CAUSE OF NOSE WHEEL TO BECOME DETACHED FROM AXLE/STRUT CANNOT BE POSITIVELY DETERMINED SO THIS REPORT IS CLOSED WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION.
Other reports on N6718X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.