Accident Details
The pilot reported performing a full flap landing. Instead of keeping the nose wheel off the runway, he relaxed elevator back pressure. When the nose wheel contacted the runway, the airplane swerved to the left. The pilot attempted to straighten the airplane using right rudder and brakes but was unsuccessful, resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane departed the runway and traveled across snow-covered grass. The right main and nose landing gears collapsed, and the airplane slid to a halt on the upslope side of a drainage ditch parallel to the runway.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the nose landing gear steering horn revealed that the attach bolt (AN3-20A) was sheared at the nut end, with the bolt head slightly backed away from the nose gear truss where it attached. No brake discrepancies were noted during the examination. The inspection could not determine whether the bolt sheared prior to or upon touchdown or during the impact sequence.
Service Bulletin Compliance
Mooney Service Bulletin M20-169, dated July 18, 1968, requires replacement of the AN3-20A bolt with a NAS623-3-29 screw. The aircraft's records indicated that this service bulletin had not been accomplished.
Pilot's Subsequent Comments
The pilot later stated that if he had held the nose wheel off the runway as long as possible instead of relaxing elevator back pressure when the airplane touched down, the speed would have dissipated, and he could have kept the airplane on the runway by using differential braking.
Damage
The damage consisted of collapsed right main and nose landing gears, buckled wing and nose gear attach points, firewall damage, several wing ribs, and crushed wing tips and tail cone.