Incident Overview
On June 27, 2017, at approximately 14:00 Japan Standard Time, a privately owned Piper PA-46-310P, registration JA4010, experienced a serious incident during landing on runway 01 at Fukushima Airport. The aircraft was on a familiarization flight from Honda Airport. The pilot and a passenger were on board; no injuries were reported.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft conducted an ILS approach. Both the pilot and passenger confirmed that the landing gear was locked down via three green indicator lights. Approach speed was 81–82 knots indicated just before the runway threshold. The aircraft touched down near the end of the aiming point marking without significant impact. The pilot did not apply brakes and used rudder pedals to maintain runway centerline. After rolling straight, the aircraft gradually drifted right and the nose began to lower. The passenger suggested a nose tire flat. The pilot raised the control column, but the nose continued descending. The propeller blades struck the runway surface. The aircraft continued with the lower forward fuselage contacting the runway and stopped at the intersection of the runway and taxiway T4. The pilot reported the damage to the airport's flight information officer, and both occupants evacuated.
Aircraft and Pilot
The aircraft was a Piper PA-46-310P (serial number 46-8408077), manufactured August 27, 1984, with a total flight time of 3,044 hours. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate, was 48 years old, and had 897 hours of total flight time, including 233 hours on type. The aircraft's weight and center of gravity were within allowable limits at the time of the incident.
Damage
The nose landing gear actuator rod end bearing was broken; the actuator piston rod was bent. The engine mount frame cracked, both propeller blades bent, and the lower engine cowling surface was damaged. The aircraft was classified as slightly damaged. The nose landing gear remained in the extended position despite the damage. Scratches on the runway indicated the touchdown point (460 m from threshold), deviation to the right (740 m), propeller strikes (756 m), and stop position (1,088 m).
Investigation Findings
The Japan Transport Safety Board investigated. The broken rod end bearing was examined by the National Institute for Materials Science, which determined the fracture was not due to metal fatigue but resulted from ductile fracture caused by bending load. The bearing buckled under compression load and then broke from excessive bending. Rust may have developed in the bearing's sliding interface, impeding smooth movement.