On August 2, 1996, a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou (registration N800NC) operated by Greatland Air Cargo was involved in an aviation accident near New Stuyahok, United States of America during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The collapse of the nose gear was caused by a failure in the hydraulic drag strut locking actuator. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft experienced a nose gear collapse while decelerating on a gravel runway, leading to an incident during the landing roll.
What happened
During the landing roll phase of flight, an aircraft was operating on a gravel-surfaced airstrip when its nose landing gear suddenly collapsed. The impact occurred as the plane was slowing down following touchdown. There were no reported injuries or fatalities associated with this specific mechanical failure.
Findings
Post-incident inspections of the landing gear assembly revealed a significant mechanical malfunction. Specifically, investigators identified that the hydraulic drag strut locking actuator had failed. This failure within the nose gear locking mechanism was the primary reason the gear could not maintain its structural integrity under the loads experienced during the landing roll.
Probable cause
The collapse of the nose gear was caused by a failure in the hydraulic drag strut locking actuator.