ERA18LA220

The sport pilot was conducting a personal flight in the special light sport airplane. During landing, the airplane touched down normally on the main landing gear. After 50 ft of ground roll, the nose landing gear touched down and collapsed; one propeller blade subsequently separated, and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear had separated at a location that the airplane maintenance manual (AMM) and a service bulletin (SB) indicate should be inspected for cracks. The separated fracture surfaces exhibited cracking and corrosion. Review of the SB revealed that due to the development of cracks, an inspection for cracks per the AMM should occur every 25 flight hours or 50 cycles, whatever occurs first. The AMM stated to use a flashlight and 10x magnifier to visually inspect the nose landing gear leg lower section and verify that there is no evidence of cracking in paint on or around the place of the weld between the tube and the bracket. The most recent documented nose landing gear inspection was about 2 years 5 months before the accident. Thus, it is likely that the nose landing gear was not adequately inspected and cracks and corrosion were therefore undetected, which led to the nose landing gear collapse during landing.

On August 15, 2018, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a special light sport aircraft (S-LSA) Czech Sport Aircraft AS Piper Sport, N425AZ, operated by the sport pilot, was substantially damaged during landing at Witham Field (SUA), Stuart, Florida. The sport pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed SUA about 1100. The sport pilot reported that during landing on runway 16, the airplane touched down normally on the main landing gear. After 50 ft of ground roll, the nose landing gear touched down and collapsed. One propeller blade subsequently separated and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the nose landing gear had penetrated the engine firewall. The inspector added that the nose landing gear had separated at a location where the airplane maintenance manual (AMM) and a service bulletin direct to inspect for cracks. The inspector further stated that the separated fracture surfaces exhibited cracking and corrosion. Review of SB-CR-016, published October 9, 2013, revealed: "…REASON: Some SportCruiser / PiperSport / PS-28 Cruiser aircraft have developed cracks in the bottom side of the lower section of the nose landing gear (NLG). The cracks develop on the NLG assembly along the weld of the tube and the bracket. Furthermore, on several aircraft bending of the pivot connecting the fork with leg was discovered and cracks from holes of bolts on the fork. To address this potentially unsafe condition, a repetitive inspection is required of the bottom side of the lower section, in the area of the weld of the tube, the bracket and the pivot and the fork in the place of the bolts mounting the fork to the landing gear. COMPLIANCE: A. Before next flight after issue of this bulletin. B. Periodically at each 25 FH or 50 cycles whatever occurs first check as described in documents [1] for PS-28 Cruiser and [2] for SportCruiser (see REFERENCES). C. During pre-flight check (see POH , Section 4, 4.1 Pre-flight check, Inspection Check List, Point 4 - Nose gear) visually inspect pivot (see the picture on the Page 3 of 4 of this Service Bulletin) and verify that there is no evidence of cracks or bending…" Review of the AMM, 8.4.3, revealed: "…(d) Using flashlight and 10x magnifier, visually inspect nose landing gear leg lower section and verify there is no evidence of cracking in paint on or around place of the weld of the tube and the bracket…" The two-seat, low-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, was manufactured in 2010. It was powered by a Rotax 912 ULS, 100-horsepower engine, equipped with a ground-adjustable, two-blade Sensenich propeller. Review of maintenance records revealed that the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 26,2018. At that time, the airframe and engine had accrued 487.8 hours since new. The airplane flew an additional 24.8 hours from the time of the most recent inspection, until the accident. The most recent nose gear inspection documented in the maintenance records was dated March 14, 2016.