Incident Details
During takeoff from Mesquite, Nevada, the pilot heard a loud popping sound and felt a brief shake of the aircraft. Believing he had struck an animal or other object, he flew over the runway but observed nothing unusual. He proceeded to land at Hurricane, Utah.
Landing and Runway Excursion
The pilot touched down at 80 knots (92 mph). He applied slight cross control to compensate for the crosswind, used light brake pressure, and raised the flaps. Shortly after, the aircraft began to veer to the right. Despite applying opposite rudder, the pilot reported no effect. When he applied full left rudder and brakes, the aircraft began to hop and seemed as if it would tip over onto the left wing. It then departed the right side of the runway and collided with a ditch.
Post-Accident Examination
Photographs taken at the accident site showed the nose wheel bent and collapsed to the right. A dark scuffing mark angled off the runway at approximately 15 degrees, and additional dark scuffing "chatter" marks were visible along the runway surface. An airport mechanic and an FAA inspector examined the nose landing gear, steering linkage, and brakes. They reported finding no evidence of a mechanical failure.