What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 05/18/2002 at approximately 18:30 CDT, aircraft Piper PA-46-350P, N529TX was landing at Palestine airport (psn), Palestine, TX. The nose of the aircraft impacted the runway and slid to the left and stopped approximately 400 feet from the first indication of touch down. The pilot reported: after landing runway 35, during rollout, approximately 40 knots airspeed, the nose gear seemed to twist, and then began to retract. Eyewitnessed stated that the aircraft appeared to be in a normal landing configuration at touch down the nose of the aircraft began to fall, hitting the ground. Investigation of the nose gear area indicated that the actuator supporter had separated at the aft supporttube cluster and impacted the engine firewall causing substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 05/18/2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 18:30 CDT, AIRCRAFT PIPER PA-46-350P, N529TX WAS LANDING AT PALESTINE AIRPORT (PSN), PALESTINE, TX. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND SLID TO THE LEFT AND STOPPED APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET FROM THE FIRST INDICATION OF TOUCH DOWN. THE PILOT REPORTED: AFTER LANDING RUNWAY 35, DURING ROLLOUT, APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS AIRSPEED, THE NOSE GEAR SEEMED TO TWIST, AND THEN BEGAN TO RETRACT. EYEWITNESSED STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE IN A NORMAL LANDING CONFIGURATION AT TOUCH DOWN THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO FALL, HITTING THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION OF THE NOSE GEAR AREA INDICATED THAT THE ACTUATOR SUPPORTER HAD SEPARATED AT THE AFT SUPPORTTUBE CLUSTER AND IMPACTED THE ENGINE FIREWALL CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.