What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported that after touchdown and well into the roll-out, the nose gear stated to vibrate and the nose started to settle, the propeller struck the runway, and the aircraft skidded to a halt on the runway. Damage was limited to scrapes on the nose gear doors, damaged propeller blades, scraped away material on the engine cowling, and unknown damage to internal engine components. As a not, the starter/generator mount was broken and wires at the ignition exciter were broken. It is suspected the the nose gear shimmy/vibration was violent enough to cause the gear down overcentering to come out of the overcenter position and allow the nose gear to collapse. No nose gear down lock, just hydraulic pressure holding the gear arms overcentered.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND WELL INTO THE ROLL-OUT, THE NOSE GEAR STATED TO VIBRATE AND THE NOSE STARTED TO SETTLE, THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A HALT ON THE RUNWAY. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO SCRAPES ON THE NOSE GEAR DOORS, DAMAGED PROPELLER BLADES, SCRAPED AWAY MATERIAL ON THE ENGINE COWLING, AND UNKNOWN DAMAGE TO INTERNAL ENGINE COMPONENTS. AS A NOT, THE STARTER/GENERATOR MOUNT WAS BROKEN AND WIRES AT THE IGNITION EXCITER WERE BROKEN. IT IS SUSPECTED THE THE NOSE GEAR SHIMMY/VIBRATION WAS VIOLENT ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE GEAR DOWN OVERCENTERING TO COME OUT OF THE OVERCENTER POSITION AND ALLOW THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. NO NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK, JUST HYDRAULIC PRESSURE HOLDING THE GEAR ARMS OVERCENTERED.
Other reports on N711S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.