What happened
Following the completion of a preflight inspection inside a hangar, a maintenance technician moved the aircraft type out of the building and attached an auxiliary power unit to the plane. Once the pilot had boarded and completed the standard preflight checklists, the technician disconnected the power cart and signaled that engine start was permitted.
During the flight following departure, the pilot identified an issue regarding the status of the landing gear. The pilot suspected that the tow bar might still be connected to the nosewheel assembly. As a safety precaution, the pilot decided to divert to a nearby airfield to perform a landing.
Upon arrival and during the landing phase, the nose landing gear failed and collapsed. This structural failure resulted in substantial damage to the primary nose section of the aircraft.
Findings
- The pilot suspected the presence of the tow bar on the nosewheel prior to the diversion.
- The collapse of the nose gear led to significant structural impact to the aircraft's forward fuselage.