Incident Overview
The pilot of the aircraft reported that after a rough landing, the airplane began to veer off the runway. Attempts to steer using the steering control were unsuccessful, and the aircraft departed the paved surface.
Sequence of Events
Once off the runway, approximately 50 feet from the edge, the nose wheel encountered a hole. The impact caused the nose gear to collapse. The airplane came to rest in the adjacent area.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination of the nose landing gear revealed that the steering lug on the nosewheel strut had fractured and separated. Investigators noted no evidence of fatigue in the fracture surfaces.
Aircraft Equipment
The aircraft was equipped with independent, pedal-operated brakes, which were not cited as contributory to the event.
Findings
The examination concluded that the loss of steering capability resulted from the fractured steering lug, leading to the runway excursion and subsequent nose gear collapse.