Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a landing on a beach near a remote river intended to pick up fishermen, the aircraft experienced a nose wheel strut fracture. The landing roll-out proceeded normally until the pilot reduced speed to approximately 5 knots and initiated a turn to reposition the aircraft. During the turn, the nose wheel entered an area of soft sand, which caused the nose wheel strut to fracture.
Aircraft Configuration
The aircraft was equipped with 10.5 x 28.5 x 15 tundra tires, wheels, and hubs installed on the main landing gear under an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The STC requires that the airplane must have an FAA-approved nose wheel and tire installation. The nose wheel was fitted with an oversized 8.50 tire and tube, which had been approved by an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) inspector under a field approval.
Regulatory Context
The FAA's handbook for airworthiness inspectors specifies that modifications to landing gear are considered major alterations and require an STC. The field approval of the nose wheel tire installation did not meet the STC requirement for the nose gear, as the STC mandated an FAA-approved nose wheel/tire installation.
Consequences
The fracture of the nose wheel strut rendered the aircraft unable to continue taxiing or take off from the beach. No further details on damage or subsequent actions were provided in the report.