Accident Details
On November 25, 2019, at approximately 1610 central standard time, a Piper PA34-200 airplane, registration N15412, sustained substantial damage during a landing at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (OSA) in Mount Pleasant, Texas. The airplane was operated by US Aviation Group LLC under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight originated from Denton Enterprise Airport (DTO) in Denton, Texas, at about 1510. The flight instructor and the pilot under instruction were not injured.
Preflight and Maintenance
Before the accident flight, a company mechanic was called to the airplane for maintenance. The mechanic observed that the nose gear strut was extended too far. He released some nitrogen pressure from the strut, lowering the extension to 2.8 inches, which was within tolerance. During the preflight inspection, the flight instructor noted the nose gear strut appeared extended more than normal and summoned the same mechanic, who again released pressure to bring the strut to a normal position. The flight instructor stated that the airplane and landing gear operated normally throughout the flight.
Landing Sequence
The pilot receiving multi-engine instruction occupied the left seat and flew the approach and landing. He confirmed the landing gear were down and locked before touchdown. The flight instructor reported that during the landing, the main landing gear touched down first, followed by the nose gear, which felt like a flat tire. The airplane then bounced, and the flight instructor observed a high pitch attitude, assumed control, and landed again. During this sequence, the nose gear strut came through the windscreen between the two pilots. The pilot under instruction stated that after the main gear touched first, the nose gear touched, and the airplane bounced about 5 feet into the air. The flight instructor took control after the bounce. The pilot under instruction had flown the accident airplane for 3 flights totaling 3.9 hours (excluding the accident flight) and had completed 3 to 4 good landings without bounces during the preceding lesson.
Witness Accounts
One witness, an airport employee at OSA, observed the approach and landing. He stated that the airplane landed on the nose wheel first while the main landing gear were still about one foot off the runway. The airplane bounced into the air and then landed hard on the nose wheel again. It slid on the runway and came to rest upright about 1,000 feet later. Another witness, a pilot with a hangar at OSA, reported that the airplane was very fast on final approach and landed fairly flat on the first attempt. The airplane bounced about 10 to 15 feet into the air before landing on the nose gear. After a final bounce, it came down directly on the nose gear, hitting the runway hard, and the nose strut collapsed upward into the fuselage.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the lower truss of the nose gear mounting structure was fractured. The nose gear mount assembly separated from the airframe but remained attached to the windscreen trim strip. The mount was displaced upward, puncturing through the top of the fuselage and fracturing the windscreen. The nose landing gear strut itself was intact and showed no signs of damage or failure.