Incident Overview
During the landing roll, after the nosewheel touched down, the instructor observed that the nosewheel was skidding. This was confirmed when he lifted the nosewheel off the ground and the skidding ceased. As the aircraft decelerated and the nose inevitably lowered, the nosewheel began skidding again. When the aircraft slowed further to an estimated 10 to 15 knots, the nose veered to the right, and subsequently, the nose gear collapsed.
Investigation Findings
An investigation revealed that the center bolt, nut, cotter pin, and bushing for the nosewheel torque link were missing, and the nosewheel had cocked. The missing components had been installed when the aircraft was manufactured and had accumulated 1,122 hours in service. The aircraft had been flown 119 hours since the last 100-hour inspection.
Sequence of Events
- The nosewheel began skidding immediately after touchdown.
- The instructor verified the skidding by briefly raising the nosewheel.
- As the aircraft slowed and the nose dropped, skidding resumed.
- At approximately 10-15 knots, the nose veered right and the nose gear collapsed.
Examination
Post-incident examination found the nosewheel torque link was missing its critical hardware, causing the wheel to be improperly aligned and eventually fail.