What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC was performing t&g ldgs on rwy 29. On the 3rd ldg, the acft nose gear collapsed at or shortly after acft touchdown on the rwy centerline. Examination of nose paint xfer markings and both MLG tire track marks revealed that the acft had touched down on the rwy centerline approx 500 feet past the rwy 29 threshold, then veered off to the left side of the rwy and traveled along the rwy edge an additional 700 ft approx before coming to a stop. The acft nose and both engine propellers had sustained damage. No rwy edge lights were damaged.
Subsequent exam of the acft by an FAA aw ASI after removal from the rwy revealed the following damage in the NLG assy:
(1) A tube on the lower rt inbd nose gear mount assy had fractured and separated at a welded area adjacent to the NLG strut assy trunnion attachment / swivel point.
(2) The nose gear downlock link assy rod end bearing housing was damaged adjacent to the actuator mount assy.
(3) The clevis bolt that attaches the above down lock link rod end bearing to the actuator mount assy was bent upward at the head, and 1/2 of the slotted head was missing.
(4) The lower drag link / nose gear mount assy was driven aft into the nose gear bulkhead approx 1/4 inch or more.
Review of the acft records revealed that the acft had just received an annual inspection 2 days before this mishap on 4/2/2024. The log entry include a reference to compliance with "AD 05-13-16 (nose drag link bolt inspection)".
The mechanic / IA that performed the annual inspection was interviewed about his observations and findings during the 4/2/2024 annual inspection; he stated that the damage present after this NLG collapse mishap was not present when he performed the annual inspection two days earlier.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC WAS PERFORMING T&G LDGS ON RWY 29. ON THE 3RD LDG, THE ACFT NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AT OR SHORTLY AFTER ACFT TOUCHDOWN ON THE RWY CENTERLINE. EXAMINATION OF NOSE PAINT XFER MARKINGS AND BOTH MLG TIRE TRACK MARKS REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY CENTERLINE APPROX 500 FEET PAST THE RWY 29 THRESHOLD, THEN VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY AND TRAVELED ALONG THE RWY EDGE AN ADDITIONAL 700 FT APPROX BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE ACFT NOSE AND BOTH ENGINE PROPELLERS HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE. NO RWY EDGE LIGHTS WERE DAMAGED.
SUBSEQUENT EXAM OF THE ACFT BY AN FAA AW ASI AFTER REMOVAL FROM THE RWY REVEALED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE IN THE NLG ASSY:
(1) A TUBE ON THE LOWER RT INBD NOSE GEAR MOUNT ASSY HAD FRACTURED AND SEPARATED AT A WELDED AREA ADJACENT TO THE NLG STRUT ASSY TRUNNION ATTACHMENT / SWIVEL POINT.
(2) THE NOSE GEAR DOWNLOCK LINK ASSY ROD END BEARING HOUSING WAS DAMAGED ADJACENT TO THE ACTUATOR MOUNT ASSY.
(3) THE CLEVIS BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE ABOVE DOWN LOCK LINK ROD END BEARING TO THE ACTUATOR MOUNT ASSY WAS BENT UPWARD AT THE HEAD, AND 1/2 OF THE SLOTTED HEAD WAS MISSING.
(4) THE LOWER DRAG LINK / NOSE GEAR MOUNT ASSY WAS DRIVEN AFT INTO THE NOSE GEAR BULKHEAD APPROX 1/4 INCH OR MORE.
REVIEW OF THE ACFT RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION 2 DAYS BEFORE THIS MISHAP ON 4/2/2024. THE LOG ENTRY INCLUDE A REFERENCE TO COMPLIANCE WITH "AD 05-13-16 (NOSE DRAG LINK BOLT INSPECTION)".
THE MECHANIC / IA THAT PERFORMED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS INTERVIEWED ABOUT HIS OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS DURING THE 4/2/2024 ANNUAL INSPECTION; HE STATED THAT THE DAMAGE PRESENT AFTER THIS NLG COLLAPSE MISHAP WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN HE PERFORMED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION TWO DAYS EARLIER.