What happened
During the landing phase of flight at China Lake Air Force Base, the aircraft's nose landing gear failed. The structural collapse occurred as the plane made contact with the runway, causing the nose of the aircraft to drop.
Following the gear failure, the aircraft continued to move along the surface, sliding for a distance of several yards before the motion ceased. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported in connection with this incident.
Findings
The primary factor identified in the sequence of events was the collapse of the nose gear immediately upon landing.