What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman arrived to ksff via IFR flight plan. Upon arriving into ksff, airman landed normally on runway 22. According to the airman, the airman landed normally on the mains and then allowed the nose wheel to touch down. As the aircraft slowed to approximately 30-35 knots and the power near idle; the aircraft swerved slightly left and then slightly to the right. The front landing gear failed, and the aicraft propeller struck the runway. The airman made a radio call to the tower, turned the fuel selector to off, cut the mixture cut-off, and depowered the aircraft and exited.
FAA inspectors looked at the aircraft on the same day at approximately 1400 local. Inspectors took pictures and noticed possible previous cracking in the metal tube assembly of front landing gear. Crack contained dirt and discoloration compared to the new fracture. FAA inspectors observed the gear handle to be in the down position, gear indicator to be down, and all circuit breakers to be in reset/normal position.
According to the airman, here is his summary:
On March 30, 2026, at 1550 zulu time, I departed in Mooney privacy data omitted from tacoma narrows airport (ktiw) with a destination of Spokane Felts Field (ksff). The weather was exceptionally favorable—clear and sunny, with some ground fog in the seattle region. I climbed to an altitude of 13,000 feet, enjoying a smooth IFR flight.
As I began my descent towards Felts Field, everything seemed normal. I arrived at the airport at 1020 local time, or 1720 zulu time, and made my approach for landing. During the landing phase, I touched down at the typical speed of 55 to 60 knots. Upon landing, the steering did not feel normal, and the aircraft began to veer left of centerline. My first thought was that I might have a flat nose wheel tire. I provided control input to correct the course, and while the aircraft initially responded, it soon began to veer to the right. It wasn't long before the nose gear collapsed, causing the nose to drop and the propeller to strike the pavement at an approximate ground speed of 30 to 35 knots, resulting in the engine shutting down.
After communicating with the tower about the collapse of the nose gear and informing them that I was evacuating the aircraft on the runway, I pulled the mixture knob, switched the fuel selector to the off position, turned the master switch off, switched the ignition to the off position, removed the keys, and placed them on the dashboard. I then grabbed my handheld radio to remain in contact with the control tower before evacuating the airplane.
Once outside, I conducted a visual inspection of the aircraft and noticed no damage other than the collapsed nose gear and bent propeller. Additionally, there were no fuel leaks or indications of leaking oil. The nose landing gear doors remained unscathed, as they did not contact the pavement due to the collapsed nose gear's ability to keep the aircraft elevated. I also noted that the nose tire was fully inflated.
Soon after, personnel from the aero center arrived to assist me. A forklift was utilized to lift the nose of the aircraft using cargo straps attached to the propeller and to pull it to the aero center ramp.
End
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN ARRIVED TO KSFF VIA IFR FLIGHT PLAN. UPON ARRIVING INTO KSFF, AIRMAN LANDED NORMALLY ON RUNWAY 22. ACCORDING TO THE AIRMAN, THE AIRMAN LANDED NORMALLY ON THE MAINS AND THEN ALLOWED THE NOSE WHEEL TO TOUCH DOWN. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 30-35 KNOTS AND THE POWER NEAR IDLE; THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED SLIGHTLY LEFT AND THEN SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. THE FRONT LANDING GEAR FAILED, AND THE AICRAFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE AIRMAN MADE A RADIO CALL TO THE TOWER, TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF, CUT THE MIXTURE CUT-OFF, AND DEPOWERED THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED.
FAA INSPECTORS LOOKED AT THE AIRCRAFT ON THE SAME DAY AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL. INSPECTORS TOOK PICTURES AND NOTICED POSSIBLE PREVIOUS CRACKING IN THE METAL TUBE ASSEMBLY OF FRONT LANDING GEAR. CRACK CONTAINED DIRT AND DISCOLORATION COMPARED TO THE NEW FRACTURE. FAA INSPECTORS OBSERVED THE GEAR HANDLE TO BE IN THE DOWN POSITION, GEAR INDICATOR TO BE DOWN, AND ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO BE IN RESET/NORMAL POSITION.
ACCORDING TO THE AIRMAN, HERE IS HIS SUMMARY:
ON MARCH 30, 2026, AT 1550 ZULU TIME, I DEPARTED IN MOONEY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM TACOMA NARROWS AIRPORT (KTIW) WITH A DESTINATION OF SPOKANE FELTS FIELD (KSFF). THE WEATHER WAS EXCEPTIONALLY FAVORABLE—CLEAR AND SUNNY, WITH SOME GROUND FOG IN THE SEATTLE REGION. I CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 13,000 FEET, ENJOYING A SMOOTH IFR FLIGHT.
AS I BEGAN MY DESCENT TOWARDS FELTS FIELD, EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. I ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT 1020 LOCAL TIME, OR 1720 ZULU TIME, AND MADE MY APPROACH FOR LANDING. DURING THE LANDING PHASE, I TOUCHED DOWN AT THE TYPICAL SPEED OF 55 TO 60 KNOTS. UPON LANDING, THE STEERING DID NOT FEEL NORMAL, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VEER LEFT OF CENTERLINE. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT I MIGHT HAVE A FLAT NOSE WHEEL TIRE. I PROVIDED CONTROL INPUT TO CORRECT THE COURSE, AND WHILE THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY RESPONDED, IT SOON BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE NOSE TO DROP AND THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE PAVEMENT AT AN APPROXIMATE GROUND SPEED OF 30 TO 35 KNOTS, RESULTING IN THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN.
AFTER COMMUNICATING WITH THE TOWER ABOUT THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR AND INFORMING THEM THAT I WAS EVACUATING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY, I PULLED THE MIXTURE KNOB, SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION, TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF, SWITCHED THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION, REMOVED THE KEYS, AND PLACED THEM ON THE DASHBOARD. I THEN GRABBED MY HANDHELD RADIO TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE CONTROL TOWER BEFORE EVACUATING THE AIRPLANE.
ONCE OUTSIDE, I CONDUCTED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTICED NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR AND BENT PROPELLER. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE NO FUEL LEAKS OR INDICATIONS OF LEAKING OIL. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOORS REMAINED UNSCATHED, AS THEY DID NOT CONTACT THE PAVEMENT DUE TO THE COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR'S ABILITY TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ELEVATED. I ALSO NOTED THAT THE NOSE TIRE WAS FULLY INFLATED.
SOON AFTER, PERSONNEL FROM THE AERO CENTER ARRIVED TO ASSIST ME. A FORKLIFT WAS UTILIZED TO LIFT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT USING CARGO STRAPS ATTACHED TO THE PROPELLER AND TO PULL IT TO THE AERO CENTER RAMP.
END