What happened
Upon completion of a training flight, the aircraft landed on the runway. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed, causing the airplane to lose directional control. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway and collided with various signs before coming to rest in the grass. There were no injuries reported following the incident.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage by an FAA Inspector identified damage to the bungee assembly of the down lock link assembly. This specific damage prevented the overcenter link from locking the landing gear in the down position. According to a written statement from the Inspector, the bungee assembly failed at the rod end, which inhibited the locking mechanism. The investigation suggested that a possible hard landing occurring prior to this flight may have bent the bungee rod assembly.