What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot had made several landings at llaano municipal airport and during final landing. When nose gear touched down, pilot heard grinding from landing gear. Pilot pulled the nose back and held the nose gear off the runway until aircraft began to lose airspeed and lift. As the nose landing gear settled on the runway, the pilot felt and heard metal scraping from the nose landing gear until aircraft came to a full stop. Upon investigation, nose wheel had departed aircraft just prior to touchdown allowing the forks of the nose landing gear to scrap the runway during landing. The wheel and tire, axle shaft, and spacers were found on the runway with cotter pin sheared off but still in the shaft. With cotter pin sheared, this allowed axle nut to come off, shaft to come out, and nose tire to depart the aircraft. Minor damage to nose landing gear forks while scraping the runway.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT HAD MADE SEVERAL LANDINGS AT LLAANO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND DURING FINAL LANDING. WHEN NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, PILOT HEARD GRINDING FROM LANDING GEAR. PILOT PULLED THE NOSE BACK AND HELD THE NOSE GEAR OFF THE RUNWAY UNTIL AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE AIRSPEED AND LIFT. AS THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SETTLED ON THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT FELT AND HEARD METAL SCRAPING FROM THE NOSE LANDING GEAR UNTIL AIRCRAFT CAME TO A FULL STOP. UPON INVESTIGATION, NOSE WHEEL HAD DEPARTED AIRCRAFT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN ALLOWING THE FORKS OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO SCRAP THE RUNWAY DURING LANDING. THE WHEEL AND TIRE, AXLE SHAFT, AND SPACERS WERE FOUND ON THE RUNWAY WITH COTTER PIN SHEARED OFF BUT STILL IN THE SHAFT. WITH COTTER PIN SHEARED, THIS ALLOWED AXLE NUT TO COME OFF, SHAFT TO COME OUT, AND NOSE TIRE TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. MINOR DAMAGE TO NOSE LANDING GEAR FORKS WHILE SCRAPING THE RUNWAY.
Other reports on N7348X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.