Accident Details
On February 27, 2021, about 1030 central standard time, a Piper PA-23 airplane, registration N1460P, sustained substantial damage during a landing accident at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The aircraft was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured.
Flight Sequence
The flight involved multiple cycles of landing gear extension and retraction. Approximately 45 minutes before the accident, the nose landing gear indication initially showed a down-and-locked position, then transitioned to an unsafe indication. The flight instructor subsequently performed several touch-and-go landings in an attempt to "lightly move" the nosewheel into the down-and-locked position. The instructor described the runway contact as firm enough to suggest the nose gear was down and locked.
During the subsequent landing, after touchdown, the airplane began yawing to the right accompanied by an unusual noise. The pilot receiving instruction applied left brake—since the brakes were located on that side of the cockpit—to prevent the airplane from departing the runway pavement. However, the nose landing gear collapsed during the rollout. The airplane traveled an additional 100 to 200 feet with its nose on the runway before coming to a stop.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed substantial damage to the fuselage frames, skin panels, and the nose landing gear wheel well structure. The extent of the damage precluded functional testing of the landing gear system. Visual inspection showed that the nose landing gear lower drag link had fractured, and both the left and right tubes had separated from their bracket. The nose landing gear strut and wheel assembly appeared intact. The actuator was found in the extended position, and the arm was bent approximately 90 degrees, consistent with being fully extended at the time of the collapse.
Metallurgical Findings
Metallurgical examination of the fractured nose landing gear lower drag link identified fatigue cracking in the welded areas and in the wrought material of both the left and right tubes. Additionally, the weld metal exhibited areas of incomplete fusion (lack of fusion).