What happened
On 22 September 2012, a Beechcraft 33 Debonair, registration N35SN, was performing a private flight from Old Sarum to Perranporth Airfield in Cornwall. The weather conditions at the time were favorable, characterized by fine visibility and a 15-knot easterly wind.
The pilot executed a standard approach to Runway 09. Prior to touchdown, both the visual green light and the mechanical indicator confirmed that the landing gear was in the locked-down position. Following the landing, the pilot attempted to maintain the nose of the aircraft off the runway by pulling back on the control column while using the rudder and brakes to steer. However, after a short ground roll, the nose descended to the runway surface.
The impact caused damage to the propeller, the lower forward section of the fuselage, and the nose landing gear. The aircraft eventually came to a stop on the runway, approximately 45 degrees offset from the centerline. The pilot was uninjured and exited the aircraft by moving forward from the cabin door and over the wing, as the rear step was too high from the ground.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. An observer in the control tower provided additional context, noting that the nose gear appeared to be down prior to the landing and witnessed the collapse occurring after the aircraft had already begun its ground roll. While the pilot initially reported a mechanical failure of the nose landing gear, the specific underlying cause of the collapse was not determined during the investigation.