What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: during a local flight to practice maneuvers a nose landing gear unsafe condition and indication developed. The pilot elected to return to the home base of the aircraft in the event of a nose gear collapse. After numerous inflight attempts to secure the nose gear down indication, the pilot in command executed a normal landing with a suspect nose gear. The nose landing gear collapsed during the landing roll. The aircraft received minor damage. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the nose landing gear linkage rod became disconnected from the actuating arm in flight. The retaining nut and cotter pin was missing which allowed the linkage rod end bearing to drop below the attach bolt and actuating arm mechanism. The retaining nut is easily accessible under the fuselage of the aircraft. The mechanic that performed the last inspection stated that the aircraft was properly inspected and was sabotaged. Case closed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: DURING A LOCAL FLIGHT TO PRACTICE MANEUVERS A NOSE LANDING GEAR UNSAFE CONDITION AND INDICATION DEVELOPED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE HOME BASE OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE EVENT OF A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE. AFTER NUMEROUS INFLIGHT ATTEMPTS TO SECURE THE NOSE GEAR DOWN INDICATION, THE PILOT IN COMMAND EXECUTED A NORMAL LANDING WITH A SUSPECT NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR LINKAGE ROD BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE ACTUATING ARM IN FLIGHT. THE RETAINING NUT AND COTTER PIN WAS MISSING WHICH ALLOWED THE LINKAGE ROD END BEARING TO DROP BELOW THE ATTACH BOLT AND ACTUATING ARM MECHANISM. THE RETAINING NUT IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE UNDER THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE MECHANIC THAT PERFORMED THE LAST INSPECTION STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS PROPERLY INSPECTED AND WAS SABOTAGED. CASE CLOSED.
Other reports on N4778C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.