What happened
The aircraft collided with the runway surface while attempting a visual landing on Runway 9 at Savannah International Airport. The initial touchdown was heavy, causing the airplane to bounce. This impact resulted in the pilot losing control of the aircraft. Following the initial contact, the airplane began a series of porpoising motions down the runway. These oscillations terminated with the collapse of the nose gear.
At 1750 on the same day, the Savannah Automatic Terminal Information Service reported wind conditions from 150 degrees at 9 knots, with gusts reaching 16 knots.
The investigation
The examination focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear following the hard landing. The nose gear was found to be collapsed after the series of porpoises down the runway. The pilot reported losing control during the bounce phase immediately after touchdown.
Findings
Contributing factors included the hard landing and subsequent loss of directional control. The wind conditions at the time of the incident were light, with gusts to 16 knots from 150 degrees. The sequence of events began with a heavy touchdown that led to a bounce, followed by porpoising, which ultimately caused the structural failure of the nose gear.