What happened
During a mission to collect water, the aircraft was in the process of touching down to refill its tanks. As the pilot increased engine power following the touchdown, the aircraft experienced a forward pitch. During this sequence, the pilot reported hearing a loud pop accompanied by a sudden feeling of deceleration.
As the nose of the aircraft began to sink, the pilot attempted to correct the attitude by applying back pressure; however, the controls failed to respond as expected. This mechanical event resulted in the floor of the cockpit splitting open, allowing water to rapidly flood the flight deck.
Findings
Investigation into the incident revealed that the left nose gear door locking pin had become detached from its hydraulic actuator. The pin showed visible bending that matched the position it held while in the retracted state within the pin guide. This structural deformation was significant enough that investigators were unable to reinsert the damaged pin through the guide for testing. While the left mycarta block remained connected to the door without any visible damage, the separation of the locking pin was identified as the primary mechanical failure.