20110921025349I

09/21/2011. The student pilot and instructor taxied to runway 10 via taxiway alpha and echo. A departure takeoff, followed by a touch-and-go landing was performed without incident. On the second approach and landing, the aircraft touched down at the runway markings. When the nose wheel touched down at approximately taxiway delta, the student flying the aircraft and the instructor thought that the nose wheel tire was flat. In actuality, the nose gear fork and tire separated from the nose strut at touchdown, and they were rolling out on the main landing gear and the nose gear leg minus tire/wheel. The instructor took control of the aircraft and lifted the nose to alleviate induced steering adversity and regain directional control. When lift was bled off, the nose gear leg again contacted the runway. The instructor maintained speed as much as possible to get the aircraft off of the runway and to execute a turn at taxiway charlie. At the intersection of runway 10 and taxiway charlie, the aircraft speed had slowed considerably. The nose strut encountered irregularities in the pavement that stopped forward momentum and caused the nose landing gear assembly (p/n 22-3220-00-00) to be dislodged from the airframe. The aircraft propeller contacted the pavement as the nose dropped and was destroyed. When the pilots exited the aircraft they noted that the nose wheel fork (p/n 20-3220-08-00) and the tire/wheel assembly were missing. Investigation found the fork/tire/wheel parts to the left side of runway 10 near taxiway delta that coincide with the touch down area. During the subsequent inspection of the runway and taxiway for debris, several additional parts were found on taxiway alpha, northeast of taxiway charlie. The parts found are those of a Diamond aircraft DA-20, and were not present at the aircraft or on the runway in the area that the fork was found. The parts consisted of a broken stud approximately one inch long with the castellated nut (p/n AN310-6) and cotter pin (p/n MS24665-285) installed, two flat washers (p/n AN960-616), two belleville washers (p/n 680-221), nose landing gear lower spacer (p/n 20-3220-00-24) and the nose landing gear steering stop plate (p/n 20-3220-00-23). The conclusion is that the found parts had fallen from N166SE while taxiing on alpha en route to runway 10 prior to the first departure. It remains unclear why the nose fork did not become dislodged at this time or at rotation of the first departure takeoff when the aircraft weight was removed from the nose gear. There was no damage to the airport property or signage.