What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: the acft nose gear collapsed at the beginning of takeoff roll, after the acft had rolled about 15 feet. (The PIC reportedly landed on the 2,450 ft turf rwy a few hours earlier in the evening, to have dinner at a restaurant located at the airport). Examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose gear actuator rod-end (Piper part # 452 853) had fractured and broken, allowing the nose gear to collapse. Visual inspection of the rod end and fracture surfaces revealed features typical of bending overload and instantaneous ductile failure (dull, fibrous fracture texture; shear lip; necking). The rod end had bent approximately 10 degrees before failing. Inspection of the actuator-to-fuselage attach bolt (pn 401 508) revealed that it was deformed from shear loading between the actuator and the fuselage attach point. (The longitudinal axis of the bolt when installed is oriented along the acft lateral axis, indicating that the shear loading resulted from aft-loading of the actuator while the gear was extended). The investigation did not reveal any evidence that the failed rod-end was an unapproved part. Examination of acft records revealed that the rod-end was installed in the acft on 6/2/95. The time in service since installation was calculated to be 249.1 hours. Telecon with AFS-643 (safety data analysis section) revealed no records of previous failures involving rod end p/n 452 853. Malfunction/defect report obtained from the mechanic that is repairing the acft. Pilot information for FAA form 8020-5 (incident report) obtained from insurance company investigator (repeated attempts to contact the PIC by phone were unsuccessful).
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: THE ACFT NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AT THE BEGINNING OF TAKEOFF ROLL, AFTER THE ACFT HAD ROLLED ABOUT 15 FEET. (THE PIC REPORTEDLY LANDED ON THE 2,450 FT TURF RWY A FEW HOURS EARLIER IN THE EVENING, TO HAVE DINNER AT A RESTAURANT LOCATED AT THE AIRPORT). EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR ROD-END (PIPER PART # 452 853) HAD FRACTURED AND BROKEN, ALLOWING THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ROD END AND FRACTURE SURFACES REVEALED FEATURES TYPICAL OF BENDING OVERLOAD AND INSTANTANEOUS DUCTILE FAILURE (DULL, FIBROUS FRACTURE TEXTURE; SHEAR LIP; NECKING). THE ROD END HAD BENT APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES BEFORE FAILING. INSPECTION OF THE ACTUATOR-TO-FUSELAGE ATTACH BOLT (PN 401 508) REVEALED THAT IT WAS DEFORMED FROM SHEAR LOADING BETWEEN THE ACTUATOR AND THE FUSELAGE ATTACH POINT. (THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE BOLT WHEN INSTALLED IS ORIENTED ALONG THE ACFT LATERAL AXIS, INDICATING THAT THE SHEAR LOADING RESULTED FROM AFT-LOADING OF THE ACTUATOR WHILE THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED). THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE FAILED ROD-END WAS AN UNAPPROVED PART. EXAMINATION OF ACFT RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE ROD-END WAS INSTALLED IN THE ACFT ON 6/2/95. THE TIME IN SERVICE SINCE INSTALLATION WAS CALCULATED TO BE 249.1 HOURS. TELECON WITH AFS-643 (SAFETY DATA ANALYSIS SECTION) REVEALED NO RECORDS OF PREVIOUS FAILURES INVOLVING ROD END P/N 452 853. MALFUNCTION/DEFECT REPORT OBTAINED FROM THE MECHANIC THAT IS REPAIRING THE ACFT. PILOT INFORMATION FOR FAA FORM 8020-5 (INCIDENT REPORT) OBTAINED FROM INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATOR (REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE PIC BY PHONE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL).