What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)The pilot stated he had completed two touch and go landings without incident. On the third landing he was unable to control the direction of the aicraft and drifted to the left side of the runway, skidded onto the grassed area where the nose landing gear broke off. Skid marks from the right tire (from heavy breaking)and nose tire were evident on the runway. Upon examination of the nose gear assembly, it became obvious that the nose gear torque links were separated at the center attach bolt causing the nose gear steering system to be ineffective. The paint was worn off the end of the lower torque link fro contact with the tire. Rubber was found grafted from the tire to a portion of the worn area of the end of the lower torque link.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)THE PILOT STATED HE HAD COMPLETED TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE THIRD LANDING HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE AICRAFT AND DRIFTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, SKIDDED ONTO THE GRASSED AREA WHERE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF. SKID MARKS FROM THE RIGHT TIRE (FROM HEAVY BREAKING)AND NOSE TIRE WERE EVIDENT ON THE RUNWAY. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE NOSE GEAR TORQUE LINKS WERE SEPARATED AT THE CENTER ATTACH BOLT CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR STEERING SYSTEM TO BE INEFFECTIVE. THE PAINT WAS WORN OFF THE END OF THE LOWER TORQUE LINK FRO CONTACT WITH THE TIRE. RUBBER WAS FOUND GRAFTED FROM THE TIRE TO A PORTION OF THE WORN AREA OF THE END OF THE LOWER TORQUE LINK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.