Accident Sequence
The airplane was damaged when it departed the left side of the runway during landing, crossing a parallel taxiway before descending an embankment. The pilot reported that upon applying the brakes, the left brake seemed to "grab" and pull the aircraft left. Despite adding power and applying right rudder in an attempt to correct the heading, the airplane veered left onto the grass.
Post-Accident Examination
Following the event, the nose landing gear fork was found fractured in two places near its attachment to the strut portion of the landing gear. No other anomalies with the airplane or its systems were identified as having existed prior to impact.
Metallurgical Analysis
The fractured nose landing gear fork was examined by the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory. The fork exhibited deformation consistent with excessive lateral loading. The fracture surfaces were analyzed and both displayed features characteristic of overstress. No evidence of fatigue cracking or preexisting damage was observed.