Nose Gear Retracted Landing Due to Fatigue Cracks in Up Lock Actuator Bracket (N6591R)

Incident Summary

On the date of the incident, an airline transport certificated pilot was conducting a positioning flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Prior to landing, the pilot received an unsafe nose gear indication and was unable to extend the nose gear. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane with the nose wheel retracted.

Investigation Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge conducted an inspection of the nose landing gear up lock actuator bracket. The inspection revealed that both the left and right sides of the bracket exhibited fatigue cracks. These cracks had propagated from the top of each side to the top of a lightening hole located near the center of each side. The lower portion of the bracket had distorted, causing a change in its position relative to the nose wheel up lock mechanism. This distortion prevented the up lock from disengaging, which in turn rendered the nose gear unable to extend.

Maintenance and Pilot Reports

Maintenance records indicated that the operator had complied with the inspection guidelines for the affected area. The pilot reported that no other mechanical problems existed with the airplane prior to the incident.