What happened
During the landing phase of flight, the Cessna (type not specified) touched down normally on its main landing gear. However, upon the touchdown of the nose gear, the aircraft veered sharply to the right and exited the side of the runway.
The student pilot at the controls attempted to correct the deviation using the rudder and brakes to bring the airplane back onto the runway. Despite these efforts, the pilot was unable to regain control. The aircraft then veered sharply to the left, crossed the runway, and exited on the left side. During the excursion, the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to slide several feet before coming to a stop. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose wheel collar assembly had separated. Investigators performed a detailed examination of a section of the failed collar, which showed features consistent with an overstress separation on one of the attachment holes. This specific hole remained fastened to the intact half of the assembly by a bolt.
The second attachment hole showed only slight indications of thread imprints and no evidence of deformation. Additionally, the shimmy dampener located inside the collar exhibited damage.