On April 23, 1986, a Piper PA-60 (registration N90676) was involved in an aviation accident near Panama City, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A hydraulic leak in the nose gear actuator that caused the nose gear to collapse during landing rollout. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
The aircraft's nose gear collapsed during rollout after landing, causing the plane to slide to a stop on the runway due to a hydraulic leak in the actuator.
What happened
During the approach phase of flight, the pilot reported that the landing gear appeared to be down and locked as indicated by the cockpit instruments. However, upon touchdown and subsequent rollout, the nose gear assembly failed catastrophically. The structure collapsed completely, causing the aircraft to slide along the runway surface until it came to a final stop.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the aircraft was conducted to determine the mechanical cause of the failure. Inspectors focused on the landing gear system components. The analysis revealed that the nose gear collapse was directly caused by a hydraulic leak within the nose gear actuator unit, which compromised its structural integrity during the load of landing.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the hydraulic leak in the nose gear actuator. This mechanical failure prevented the nose gear from supporting the weight of the aircraft upon touchdown, leading to the collapse and subsequent sliding on the runway surface.
Probable cause
A hydraulic leak in the nose gear actuator that caused the nose gear to collapse during landing rollout.