Incident Overview
An airplane experienced a nose gear collapse while taxiing back to the ramp. The incident occurred when the nose wheel rolled into a small depression adjacent to the runway. The depression had been formed by soft graded material that was pushed into it during runway grading operations.
Runway Conditions
Earlier, the soft area and depression had been marked with yellow cones. However, these cones were removed while the runway was being graded and were not replaced afterward. No Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) had been issued regarding the condition. The Alaska Supplement indicated that the runway was soft and that runway conditions were not monitored.
Conclusion
The nose gear collapse resulted from the nose wheel entering an unmarked depression during taxi. The lack of marking cones, absence of NOTAMs, and the runway's soft condition as noted in the Alaska Supplement were factors in the occurrence.