Accident Overview
A commercial certificated pilot, who also held an aviation mechanic certificate, was conducting a positioning flight to pick up a passenger for an air taxi operation. The landing was planned on a remote ridge, which was gravel-covered and situated at an elevation of about 3,973 feet above mean sea level. At the time, the ridge surface was covered by approximately 1 to 2 inches of snow.
Landing and Collapse
During the approach, the pilot executed a soft field landing technique. After touchdown, as the aircraft continued its landing roll, the nose gear collapsed. The collapse resulted in the propeller striking the ground. The pilot later indicated that he believed the failure was due to a bolt that attaches the nose wheel fork to the nose gear strut breaking, allowing the nose wheel to separate from the lower end of the strut.
Postaccident Inspection
A postaccident examination of the nose gear and its supporting structure was conducted. The inspection revealed that the nose wheel strut drag link had been torn from its aft attachment point. Additionally, the keel bulkhead at the drag link attach point exhibited tearing, shearing of the rivets, and deformation.