What happened
During a Title 14, CFR Part 91 positioning flight, the pilot reported receiving an unsafe nose gear indication prior to landing. The pilot was unable to extend the nose gear, resulting in the aircraft landing with the nose wheel retracted.
The investigation
An investigation of the nose landing gear up lock actuator bracket revealed that fatigue cracks had developed on both the left and right sides of the bracket. These cracks propagated from the top of each side toward a lightening hole located near the center of the component. Additionally, the lower portion of the bracket was found to be distorted. This distortion altered the position of the bracket relative to the nose wheel up lock mechanism, which prevented the up lock from disengaging. Maintenance records showed that the operator had complied with all inspection guidelines for this specific area. The pilot stated there were no other mechanical issues with the aircraft prior to the incident.