On December 27, 1992, a Beechcraft 90 King Air (registration F-GIBR) operated by Atlantique Air Assistance was involved in an aviation accident near Nantes, France during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The nose landing gear collapsed during the takeoff roll before reaching decision speed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft experienced a nose gear failure during its takeoff roll at Nantes, resulting in a runway excursion and significant aircraft damage.
What happened
On the day of the incident, a twin-engine aircraft was performing an air ambulance mission, traveling from Nantes toward Limoges. The flight was intended to transport a medical professional to collect a patient for transfer.
As the aircraft was accelerating along the runway, the nose landing gear failed just prior to reaching V1 speed. This structural failure caused the aircraft to tilt forward, dragging the nose of the plane along the runway surface for several dozen meters. The aircraft eventually came to a stop on the runway.
Findings
The aircraft sustained damage beyond repair due to the impact with the runway.
There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported among the two occupants, which included the pilot and a doctor.
The primary factor in the accident was the collapse of the nose gear during the takeoff phase.
Probable cause
The nose landing gear collapsed during the takeoff roll before reaching decision speed.