# Incident 20240404010299I: Piper PA-34-200T, Merritt Island, FL, April 4, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 4, 2024, 16:12 local time
- Place: Merritt Island, FL
- Airport: Merritt Island
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.3416° N, 80.6855° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MERRITT ISLAND (COI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.3416&lon=-80.6855&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2159S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2159S) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200T
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 16,500 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240404010299I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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