What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: pilot dale nix, cert. #580071530, departed airport at 20:02. After lift off, he raised the landing gear and heard a loud popping noise coming from the lower front of the aircraft. After several attempts at lowering the landing gear, he was unable to get a green light on the nose gear. While attempting to land on runway 25R at Long Beach the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest at the mid point of the runway. There were no injuries to the occupants. There was minor damage to the aircraft, consisting of both propellers, the nose gear and the nose section. Further investigation determined that the idler bell crank, p/n 42102-497 ha 201 had broken at the nose gear tube attach point to the bell crank. A m or d was submitted by inspector don gordon. No pilot deviation was involved.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: PILOT DALE NIX, CERT. #580071530, DEPARTED AIRPORT AT 20:02. AFTER LIFT OFF, HE RAISED THE LANDING GEAR AND HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR, HE WAS UNABLE TO GET A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25R AT LONG BEACH THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE MID POINT OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, CONSISTING OF BOTH PROPELLERS, THE NOSE GEAR AND THE NOSE SECTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE IDLER BELL CRANK, P/N 42102-497 HA 201 HAD BROKEN AT THE NOSE GEAR TUBE ATTACH POINT TO THE BELL CRANK. A M OR D WAS SUBMITTED BY INSPECTOR DON GORDON. NO PILOT DEVIATION WAS INVOLVED.