What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot statement, on 1/28/2026 at approximately 4:10PM local, I was cleared to land by boca tower. I was on a 4 mile left base for runway 05 and performed the before landing checklist. After moving the nose gear switch to the down position, I did not receive an in motion light (amber) nor a gear down light (green). The Cozy Mkiv has a window near the pilots right lower leg and it appeared that the gear was in the fully retracted position. I continued the straight in approach but arrested the descent at approximately 300 feet. I reset the nose gear actuator circuit breaker and cycled the nose gear switch. This did not resolve the issue. I contacted tower and told them I was going to make a low pass and asked for a visual confirmation on the position of the nose gear. I received a confirmation from an observer that was on frequency that the nose gear was in the up position.
I notified tower that I was going to enter a left down wind for runway 05 and declared an emergency. During the before landing check list, I cycled the nose gear actuator circuit breaker and switch two more times. There was no light indication of the gear position and the gear was visibly in the retracted position as seen through the gear well window. I was cleared to land and made the landing at normal landing speed. I applied normal breaking and held the nose up until the canard stalled at about 62 KTS indicated at which time the nose dropped onto the runway surface. The airplane made a slight left of centerline deviation and came to a stop. I shut off the engine and exited the airplane. I sustained no injuries and the only visible damage to the airplane was the normal cannibalization of the nose bumper.
Upon further inspection, it was determined that the power supply wire to the nose gear actuator has suffered a catastrophic failure when it melted through due to arcing against the aluminum battery case. This was secondary to chaffing of the wire on the edge of the battery case.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATEMENT, ON 1/28/2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:10PM LOCAL, I WAS CLEARED TO LAND BY BOCA TOWER. I WAS ON A 4 MILE LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 05 AND PERFORMED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST. AFTER MOVING THE NOSE GEAR SWITCH TO THE DOWN POSITION, I DID NOT RECEIVE AN IN MOTION LIGHT (AMBER) NOR A GEAR DOWN LIGHT (GREEN). THE COZY MKIV HAS A WINDOW NEAR THE PILOTS RIGHT LOWER LEG AND IT APPEARED THAT THE GEAR WAS IN THE FULLY RETRACTED POSITION. I CONTINUED THE STRAIGHT IN APPROACH BUT ARRESTED THE DESCENT AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET. I RESET THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CYCLED THE NOSE GEAR SWITCH. THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I CONTACTED TOWER AND TOLD THEM I WAS GOING TO MAKE A LOW PASS AND ASKED FOR A VISUAL CONFIRMATION ON THE POSITION OF THE NOSE GEAR. I RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION FROM AN OBSERVER THAT WAS ON FREQUENCY THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS IN THE UP POSITION.
I NOTIFIED TOWER THAT I WAS GOING TO ENTER A LEFT DOWN WIND FOR RUNWAY 05 AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. DURING THE BEFORE LANDING CHECK LIST, I CYCLED THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER AND SWITCH TWO MORE TIMES. THERE WAS NO LIGHT INDICATION OF THE GEAR POSITION AND THE GEAR WAS VISIBLY IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AS SEEN THROUGH THE GEAR WELL WINDOW. I WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND MADE THE LANDING AT NORMAL LANDING SPEED. I APPLIED NORMAL BREAKING AND HELD THE NOSE UP UNTIL THE CANARD STALLED AT ABOUT 62 KTS INDICATED AT WHICH TIME THE NOSE DROPPED ONTO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRPLANE MADE A SLIGHT LEFT OF CENTERLINE DEVIATION AND CAME TO A STOP. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS THE NORMAL CANNIBALIZATION OF THE NOSE BUMPER.
UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER SUPPLY WIRE TO THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR HAS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHEN IT MELTED THROUGH DUE TO ARCING AGAINST THE ALUMINUM BATTERY CASE. THIS WAS SECONDARY TO CHAFFING OF THE WIRE ON THE EDGE OF THE BATTERY CASE.