What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Part 91 commercial air tour operation Diamond DA-40, registrationprivacy data omitted, serial number 40.259 with one pilot and 2 passengers on board. Landing on runway 27 notice the nose landing gear went further than normal and after a grinding noise exited the runway, came to stop, and reported that nose wheel assemble was missing. Pilot and passengers onboard aircraft sustain no injuries.
The aircraft examination was performed at the Fort Lauderdale Executive jet center; the aircraft had a missing nose wheel assembly, the attachment hardware, and damage to the landing gear strut threaded stud also, damage to the engine propeller that struck the ground during landing.
The investigation and review of the maintenance record revealed the last annual inspection was performed on June 24, 2022, with a tat of 1910.5. Additionally it was discovered that airworthiness directive 2009-10-04 (recurrent) was last accomplished on March 20, 2020, with tat 1741.8, next due 1941.8. AD states that if no crack is found, inspect after intervals not to exceed 12 months or 200 hours tis, whichever occurs later until p/n D41-3223-10-00–1 or higher (–2, –3, etc.) Is installed. As per the Diamond service information letter no SI40-166, the owner determined the part number of the nose landing gear assembly is p/n D41-3223-10-00, and it requires repetitive inspections.
At the time of the incident, the aircraft have a tat of 2005.5, and there is no record of the due recurrent inspection of AD 2009-10-04 at tat of 1941.8. The aircraft flew 64 hours with a past-due AD.
We could not determine if the strut stud had cracked due to heavy corrosion and damage in the area.
Diamond service information letter no SI40-166 states da 40 aircraft may develop cracks at the top of the NLG pivot or the top of the stud, which may lead to a nose gear collapse, or the loss of the nose wheel and fork. This service information letter highlights the importance of inspection the nose landing gear and highlights updates to the aircraft maintenance manual. No records found in the maintenance logs referring this service letter or amm. The failure of this studs could be due to D41-3223-10-00_1 and earlier struts are more prone to failure than later designs, a single hard landing may severely reduce the life of a nose gear strut, improper assembly of the nose gear are major contributors to cracking at the stud, which may
Result in the loss of the fork assembly.
As the FAA filed it
PART 91 COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR OPERATION DIAMOND DA-40, REGISTRATION^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SERIAL NUMBER 40.259 WITH ONE PILOT AND 2 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 NOTICE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WENT FURTHER THAN NORMAL AND AFTER A GRINDING NOISE EXITED THE RUNWAY, CAME TO STOP, AND REPORTED THAT NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLE WAS MISSING. PILOT AND PASSENGERS ONBOARD AIRCRAFT SUSTAIN NO INJURIES.
THE AIRCRAFT EXAMINATION WAS PERFORMED AT THE FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE JET CENTER; THE AIRCRAFT HAD A MISSING NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY, THE ATTACHMENT HARDWARE, AND DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR STRUT THREADED STUD ALSO, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE PROPELLER THAT STRUCK THE GROUND DURING LANDING.
THE INVESTIGATION AND REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORD REVEALED THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON JUNE 24, 2022, WITH A TAT OF 1910.5. ADDITIONALLY IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 2009-10-04 (RECURRENT) WAS LAST ACCOMPLISHED ON MARCH 20, 2020, WITH TAT 1741.8, NEXT DUE 1941.8. AD STATES THAT IF NO CRACK IS FOUND, INSPECT AFTER INTERVALS NOT TO EXCEED 12 MONTHS OR 200 HOURS TIS, WHICHEVER OCCURS LATER UNTIL P/N D41-3223-10-00–1 OR HIGHER (–2, –3, ETC.) IS INSTALLED. AS PER THE DIAMOND SERVICE INFORMATION LETTER NO SI40-166, THE OWNER DETERMINED THE PART NUMBER OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY IS P/N D41-3223-10-00, AND IT REQUIRES REPETITIVE INSPECTIONS.
AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAVE A TAT OF 2005.5, AND THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE DUE RECURRENT INSPECTION OF AD 2009-10-04 AT TAT OF 1941.8. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW 64 HOURS WITH A PAST-DUE AD.
WE COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THE STRUT STUD HAD CRACKED DUE TO HEAVY CORROSION AND DAMAGE IN THE AREA.
DIAMOND SERVICE INFORMATION LETTER NO SI40-166 STATES DA 40 AIRCRAFT MAY DEVELOP CRACKS AT THE TOP OF THE NLG PIVOT OR THE TOP OF THE STUD, WHICH MAY LEAD TO A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE, OR THE LOSS OF THE NOSE WHEEL AND FORK. THIS SERVICE INFORMATION LETTER HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF INSPECTION THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND HIGHLIGHTS UPDATES TO THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL. NO RECORDS FOUND IN THE MAINTENANCE LOGS REFERRING THIS SERVICE LETTER OR AMM. THE FAILURE OF THIS STUDS COULD BE DUE TO D41-3223-10-00_1 AND EARLIER STRUTS ARE MORE PRONE TO FAILURE THAN LATER DESIGNS, A SINGLE HARD LANDING MAY SEVERELY REDUCE THE LIFE OF A NOSE GEAR STRUT, IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE NOSE GEAR ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO CRACKING AT THE STUD, WHICH MAY
RESULT IN THE LOSS OF THE FORK ASSEMBLY.