What happened
During the landing roll, as the nose wheel made contact with the runway, the pilot experienced a hard bump followed by a violent jerking motion to the left. This sequence caused the aircraft to depart the runway before coming to a stop.
The investigation
Upon removal of the engine cowling and examination of the engine mount, investigators discovered that the right side of the nose gear actuator aft attach point had separated from the tube cluster on the mount assembly. The actuator was found pushed aft into the firewall. Additionally, a section of the firewall located aft of the nose landing gear actuator had been crushed upward and aft into the forward baggage compartment.
Examination of the separated surface of the nose gear actuator aft attach point using photographs and stereoscopic magnification revealed signatures consistent with overload.
Findings
Investigation determined that Service Bulletin No. 1103, issued by the manufacturer for the inspection or replacement of the engine mount, had not been performed on this aircraft. The owner/pilot reported that the service bulletin was scheduled to be completed during the next maintenance visit.