What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Incident happened on a Friday afternoon; an operations inspector and I arrived on the following Monday to speak with pilot and maintence personnel. Aircraft had been moved from the runway to a hangar and placed on jacks. The hangar houses an avionic repair station and a few A&P mechanics, some with an IA.
I noted a nut missing from bolt used to attach spring arm and lower drag link to nose gear strut housing. Maintenance personnel that recovered aircraft stated the nut was missing and the tab on spring arm was below the torque link instead of on top of torque link as required to lock gear in down position. A review of the aircraft logbook showed work last performed on nose gear at the annual inspection, entry dated 26 February 2025 @ 3020.10 actt.
The aircraft accumulated 32.92 hours and 46 landing since the afore mentioned annual and the privacy data omittedpilot stated he has not had any maintenance performed since the annual.
I returned to examine aircraft on a later date with the cowling removed and using the aircrafts hydraulics to perform a partial gear swing. With nose gear partially retracted, I could see how it is possible for the bolt with missing nut could back out enough to allow spring arm to get out of place and marks on spring arm made by the lower drag link indicate this is what happened.
The unknown is how it went trouble free for approximately 6 months, 33 hours, and 46 landings before causing an occurence.
I spoke with the IA who signed off the annual inspection and he is certain that the maintenance on the nose gear was performed properly. Maintenace personnel were forecoming and didn't attempt to hide the missing nut and were very cooperative throughout the investigation. To mitigate risk of this happening in the future, the IA created a form to log any discrepancy that involved landing gear, flight controls, etc
As the FAA filed it
INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON; AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR AND I ARRIVED ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY TO SPEAK WITH PILOT AND MAINTENCE PERSONNEL. AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED FROM THE RUNWAY TO A HANGAR AND PLACED ON JACKS. THE HANGAR HOUSES AN AVIONIC REPAIR STATION AND A FEW A&P MECHANICS, SOME WITH AN IA.
I NOTED A NUT MISSING FROM BOLT USED TO ATTACH SPRING ARM AND LOWER DRAG LINK TO NOSE GEAR STRUT HOUSING. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL THAT RECOVERED AIRCRAFT STATED THE NUT WAS MISSING AND THE TAB ON SPRING ARM WAS BELOW THE TORQUE LINK INSTEAD OF ON TOP OF TORQUE LINK AS REQUIRED TO LOCK GEAR IN DOWN POSITION. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK SHOWED WORK LAST PERFORMED ON NOSE GEAR AT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, ENTRY DATED 26 FEBRUARY 2025 @ 3020.10 ACTT.
THE AIRCRAFT ACCUMULATED 32.92 HOURS AND 46 LANDING SINCE THE AFORE MENTIONED ANNUAL AND THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT STATED HE HAS NOT HAD ANY MAINTENANCE PERFORMED SINCE THE ANNUAL.
I RETURNED TO EXAMINE AIRCRAFT ON A LATER DATE WITH THE COWLING REMOVED AND USING THE AIRCRAFTS HYDRAULICS TO PERFORM A PARTIAL GEAR SWING. WITH NOSE GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED, I COULD SEE HOW IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE BOLT WITH MISSING NUT COULD BACK OUT ENOUGH TO ALLOW SPRING ARM TO GET OUT OF PLACE AND MARKS ON SPRING ARM MADE BY THE LOWER DRAG LINK INDICATE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.
THE UNKNOWN IS HOW IT WENT TROUBLE FREE FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS, 33 HOURS, AND 46 LANDINGS BEFORE CAUSING AN OCCURENCE.
I SPOKE WITH THE IA WHO SIGNED OFF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND HE IS CERTAIN THAT THE MAINTENANCE ON THE NOSE GEAR WAS PERFORMED PROPERLY. MAINTENACE PERSONNEL WERE FORECOMING AND DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE MISSING NUT AND WERE VERY COOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE INVESTIGATION. TO MITIGATE RISK OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE, THE IA CREATED A FORM TO LOG ANY DISCREPANCY THAT INVOLVED LANDING GEAR, FLIGHT CONTROLS, ETC