What happened
Prior to touchdown, the pilot performed a visual inspection of the runway and observed that certain areas were wet, though conditions were deemed within acceptable limits for landing. During the final stages of the landing roll, while the airplane was traveling at a relatively slow ground speed, the nose wheel struck a large hole filled with water and mud.
Following the incident, a post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed that the nose strut had been bent aft approximately 20 degrees from its original position. A subsequent inspection of the runway identified a hole measuring approximately 15 inches deep, 1 foot wide, and 20 feet long located in the middle of the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical condition of the aircraft and the state of the runway surface. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. However, the impact with the hole resulted in substantial damage to the nose wheel bulkhead.