Incident Overview
During the landing sequence, the aircraft's nose gear collapsed. The airplane initially bounced upon touchdown and subsequently continued to porpoise down the runway. As a result of the porpoising motion, the nose gear fork separated from the lower strut, leading to the nose of the aircraft impacting the runway surface.
Post-Event Examination
A post-incident examination of the nose tire revealed a flat spot along with several cuts surrounding the affected area. The nose wheel was found to be broken, and fragmented pieces of the wheel had penetrated the tire, resulting in the destruction of the inner tube. These findings were documented during the inspection of the aircraft's landing gear components.
Sequence of Events
The landing began as a routine approach to the runway. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a bounce, indicating an inconsistent contact with the runway. This was followed by a series of porpoising motions, where the nose and main landing gear alternately compressed and rebounded. During one of these oscillations, the nose gear fork detached from the lower strut, causing the nose to drop onto the runway. The aircraft then slid along the runway surface before coming to a stop.