19991205039699I

(-23) The nose landing gear fork failed and the strut partially collapsed during a solo touch & go landing on rwy 33. The aircraft subsequently skidded off the runway into a grassy area where it came to rest. According to witnesses, the aircraft had bounced and porpoised several times after initial touchdown. Examination of the aircraft after the mishap revealed that the both sides of the strut fork had sustained complete fractures typical of instantaneous overload failure, and that a portion of the tire sidewall had failed and separated. The student pilot attributed the mishap to overservicing of the nose strut by the airplane owner immediately before the flight. The owner, a certificated pilot, confirmed that he had serviced the strut with nitrogen just before the flight, and that he visually estimated the proper amount of pressure by the amount of strut extension. He did not check the pressure with gauge as specified by the aircraft manufacturer's maintenance instructions, nor did he make a log entry for the preventative maintenance.