Incident Overview
During landing, an airplane's nose landing gear collapsed after touchdown, leading to a skid of approximately 600 feet on the runway. The pilots reported that the landing gear had been extended before entering the traffic pattern. The approach was described as normal, and the airplane settled onto the runway from about 5 feet in the air. Main gear contact occurred first, followed by the nose gear, which then collapsed.
Examination of the Actuator
A metallurgist from the Safety Board examined the separated nose landing gear actuator and determined that the failure was consistent with overstress. No other damage to the nose landing gear components was found.
Manufacturer's Assessment
According to the airplane manufacturer, the nose landing gear could not have been extended and locked if only the actuator was damaged. This suggests that either the landing gear was improperly rigged, or the gear was still in travel at the moment of landing.
Maintenance History
Maintenance records indicate that the rigging of the landing gear was checked during the last annual inspection. No maintenance work on the landing gear was performed between that inspection and the accident.