On May 5, 1993, a Piper PA-44-180 (registration N21427) operated by Spruce Creek Aviation, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Daytona Beach, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The drag link assembly bolt failed due to fatigue. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During the landing roll after touchdown, an airplane's nose landing gear collapsed. Investigation revealed fatigue failure of the drag link assembly bolt, which had been replaced 36 flight hours prior.
Incident Overview
After touchdown during the landing roll, the nose landing gear of an airplane collapsed. The failure occurred without any prior indication of structural issues.
Examination Findings
Examination of the nose landing gear assembly revealed that the drag link assembly bolt had failed. Metallurgical analysis of the bolt showed that the failure was caused by fatigue.
Maintenance History
A review of the airframe logbook indicated that the bolt and its associated bushings had been replaced on March 17, 1993. At the time of the incident, the airplane had accumulated approximately 36 flight hours since that replacement.
Probable cause
The drag link assembly bolt failed due to fatigue.