What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Was conducting pre-solo student pilot flight training. The aircraft departed aff and conducted 3 normal touch and go landings at bjc prior to returning to aff. On approach to runway 34R the student pilot was flying. The approach was normal. The student pilot flared the aircraft high and reduced power resulting in a “firm” landing according to the instructor. The instructor heard a cracking sound and took the controls when he noticed that there was no directional pedal control. The PIC pulled the fuel shut off, securing the engine. The aircraft departed the runway to the right and the nose landing gear broke off the aircraft as it entered the grass. The aircraft came to rest on the engine cowling. Both pilots evacuated the aircraft with no incidents.
On post occurrence investigation, the nose wheel bracket (cap) was found on the runway with a nut. The cap was broken from one side (starboard). The other piece (starboard) was still attached to the aircraft. The nut did not show signs of stripage. The starboard attaching bolt and nut were still attached with the broken piece of the cap. The recessed nut area on both port and starboard sides were heavily coated with dirt and grease residue. The landing gear upper support rivets were pulled outward. A bolt identical to the starboard bolt on the aircraft was found at the refueling station area one week after the event. There were no stripage indications on the bolt. The aircraft refueled prior to departing aff by the previous crew as it was the second flight of the day. Review of maintenance records do not show any work completed on the landing gear cap within the last 2 years. The pilot stated that he had preflighted the nose gear but not specifically the bolts as they were not on the checklist. Bolt nomenclature is: an 5-10A and corresponding nut is nas 679A5.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONDUCTING PRE-SOLO STUDENT PILOT FLIGHT TRAINING. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AFF AND CONDUCTED 3 NORMAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT BJC PRIOR TO RETURNING TO AFF. ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 34R THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FLYING. THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL. THE STUDENT PILOT FLARED THE AIRCRAFT HIGH AND REDUCED POWER RESULTING IN A “FIRM” LANDING ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR HEARD A CRACKING SOUND AND TOOK THE CONTROLS WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO DIRECTIONAL PEDAL CONTROL. THE PIC PULLED THE FUEL SHUT OFF, SECURING THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT ENTERED THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE ENGINE COWLING. BOTH PILOTS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INCIDENTS.
ON POST OCCURRENCE INVESTIGATION, THE NOSE WHEEL BRACKET (CAP) WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY WITH A NUT. THE CAP WAS BROKEN FROM ONE SIDE (STARBOARD). THE OTHER PIECE (STARBOARD) WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE NUT DID NOT SHOW SIGNS OF STRIPAGE. THE STARBOARD ATTACHING BOLT AND NUT WERE STILL ATTACHED WITH THE BROKEN PIECE OF THE CAP. THE RECESSED NUT AREA ON BOTH PORT AND STARBOARD SIDES WERE HEAVILY COATED WITH DIRT AND GREASE RESIDUE. THE LANDING GEAR UPPER SUPPORT RIVETS WERE PULLED OUTWARD. A BOLT IDENTICAL TO THE STARBOARD BOLT ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND AT THE REFUELING STATION AREA ONE WEEK AFTER THE EVENT. THERE WERE NO STRIPAGE INDICATIONS ON THE BOLT. THE AIRCRAFT REFUELED PRIOR TO DEPARTING AFF BY THE PREVIOUS CREW AS IT WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS DO NOT SHOW ANY WORK COMPLETED ON THE LANDING GEAR CAP WITHIN THE LAST 2 YEARS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PREFLIGHTED THE NOSE GEAR BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY THE BOLTS AS THEY WERE NOT ON THE CHECKLIST. BOLT NOMENCLATURE IS: AN 5-10A AND CORRESPONDING NUT IS NAS 679A5.
Other reports on N7884N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.