ANC05IA048

The airline transport certificated pilot of the Title 14, CFR Part 91, positioning flight reported getting an unsafe nose gear indication prior to landing, and was unable to extend the nose gear. He landed the airplane with the nose wheel retracted. An inspection of the nose landing gear up lock actuator bracket by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, revealed that both the left and right sides of the bracket had fatigue cracks that propagated from the top of each side to the top of a lightening hole near the center of each side. The lower portion of the bracket had distorted, changing its position relative to the nose wheel up lock mechanism, which rendered the up lock unable to disengage. Maintenance records indicated compliance with inspection guidelines for the affected area by the operator. The pilot reported that there were no other mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the incident.

On March 9, 2005, about 1830 Alaska standard time, a Reims Aviation F406 airplane, N6591R, sustained minor damage during a landing with the nose wheel retracted, at the Nome Airport, Nome Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Hageland Aviation of Anchorage, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the incident occurred. The solo airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed Savoonga Landing Strip, Savoonga, Alaska, about 1745.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 9, the director of maintenance for the operator said the pilot reported getting an unsafe nose gear indication prior to landing, and when he was unable to correct the problem, he landed the airplane with the nose wheel retracted.

During a telephone conversation with the IIC on March 10, the FAA maintenance inspector who examined the airplane said the nose gear up-lock bracket had fractured and distorted, and would not allow the nose gear up-lock to disengage.

An inspection of the nose landing gear up lock actuator bracket (PN 5727110-9) by the IIC revealed that the bracket left side (PN 5713040-14 ) and right side (PN 5713040-15) both had fatigue cracks that propagated from the top of each side to the top of a lightening hole near the center of each side. The lower portion of the bracket had distorted, changing its position relative to the nose wheel up-lock mechanism, which rendered the up-lock unable to disengage.

According to the operator's maintenance records, the operator had complied with the inspection guidelines for the nose gear area set forth in Service Bulletin CA00-10. The airplane was built by Reims Aviation in France, under license of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation. According to the operator, the airplane is no longer supported by Reims Aviation, and according to a Cessna representative, they do not directly support Reims manufactured airplanes, but do have parts available for similar Cessna airplanes.