Incident Overview
While taxiing, the pilot initiated a left turn shortly after beginning to move. During this maneuver, the aircraft's nosewheel assembly catastrophically failed, with the rim splitting apart. One of the split rim pieces struck a ground observer, causing the severance of his leg.
Investigation Findings
Post-incident examination revealed that the nuts securing the through-bolts on the split rim were not the correct type. Additionally, the tires may have been inflated beyond their recommended pressure. The aircraft's maintenance records were found to be incomplete, hindering the investigation's ability to determine when the improper nuts were installed or who performed the installation. The investigation was unable to identify the responsible party for the incorrect hardware.
Conclusion
The examination identified improper nuts on the through-bolts of the nosewheel split rim and possible over-inflation of the tires as contributing factors to the assembly failure.