20020731021709I

(-23) FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR KELLI WARNER WAS CONDUCTING INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTION FOR HER STUDENT, SPENCER CAMPBELL, ON 07-31-2002. UPON COMPLETING A VOR-DME RUNWAY 25 APPROACH TO ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (ORL), ORLANDO, FLORIDA, THEY PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO ON RUNWAY 25, AND DEPARTED THE AIRPORT FOR ANOTHER INSTRUMENT APPROACH. UPON COMPLETION OF THE LOC-BC RUNWAY 25 AT ORL, THEY INITIATED ANOTHER TOUCH AND GO. UPON TOUCH DOWN, THE CREW HEARD A LOUD SCRAPING NOISE COMING FROM THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY SKIDDED TO A STOP ON RUNWAY 25. IMMEDIATE INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WAS MISSING FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND THAT THE NOSE HAD ACTUALLY TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NOSE GEAR FORK ASSEMBLY WHERE THE NOSE WHEEL WOULD NORMALLY BE ATTACHED. HOWEVER, THE NOSE WHEEL, NOR ANY OF ITS COMPONENTS, COULD BE LOCATED IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, LIMITED TO THE NOSE GEAR FORK AND THE PROPELLER. A SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRFIELD BY FAA AND AIRPORT OPERATIONS PERSONNEL PRODUCED THE NOSE WHEEL, TO INCLUDE MOST OF ITS COMPONENTS, EXCEPT THE AXLE RETAINING BOLT, NUT, AND COTTER KEY. THE ITEMS RECOVERED WERE FOUND AT THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 25, INDICATING THAT THE NOSE WHEEL HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER LIFT OFF FROM THE FIRST TOUCH AND GO, PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED BY THE CREW. A SEARCH OF THE ENTIRE RUNWAY AND AREAS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY FAILED TO PRODUCE THE AXLE RETAINING BOLT, NUT, OR COTTER KEY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE NOSE WHEEL AXLE APPARENTLY REMAINED IN PLACE FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME, HELD IN POSITION ONLY BY THE FRICTION CREATED BY THE GREASE SEALS OF THE TWO NOSE WHEEL AXLE BEARINGS. THE NOSE WHEEL DEPARTED THE NOSE GEAR FORK WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL AXLE FINALLY WORKED ITS WAY FAR ENOUGH TO ONE SIDE OF THE FORK ASSEMBLY SO AS TO NO LONGER BE ABLE TO BE HELD IN PLACE BY THE FORK. MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR N5177R INDICATE THAT THE NOSE WHEEL TIRE WAS CHANGED ON 05-26-2002, AND A 100 HOUR INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 06-29-2002. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT REPORTED HEREIN, THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED 85 HOURS SINCE THE LAST 100 HOUR INSPECTION. ALTHOUGH EVIDENCE SPECIFICALLY INDICATES THAT THE NOSE WHEEL DEPARTED THE A IRCRAFT BECAUSE THE NOSE WHEEL RETAINING BOLT WAS NOT IN PLACE, IT IS UNDETERMINED AS TO WHY AND WHEN SUCH RETAINING BOLT WAS NO LONGER IN POSITION TO PROPERLY SECURE THE NOSE WHEEL AXLE. ACCORDINGLY, MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INVOLVED WITH THE AIRCRAFT HAVE BEEN COUNSELED REGARDING THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT, AND THE FLIGHT CREW HAS BEEN COUNSELED REGARDING PREFLIGHT INSPECTION ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT.