Incident Overview
On 31 May 2003, at 1430Z, a Piper PA-28R-200 (registration ZS-MHB) was conducting a training flight at Port Alfred Aerodrome. The aircraft had two persons on board. The weather was calm, temperature 22°C, clear skies, and good visibility. The flight took off from Runway 25.
Sequence of Events
During the initial climb, as the landing gear was retracted, the pilot noticed that the gear-in-transit light for the nose gear failed to extinguish. The aircraft turned downwind for Runway 25, and the gear was selected down again. The pilot obtained only two green indications for both main gears; the nose gear-in-transit light remained illuminated. The pilot continued on the downwind leg and executed the manual gear extension procedures but was unable to extend the nose gear. After notifying Port Alfred maintenance personnel and several failed attempts to get the nose gear down and locked, the aircraft was landed on Runway 10 with the nose gear in the unlocked position. Upon landing, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest on the runway.
Damage and Injuries
No occupants were injured. The aircraft damage was limited to the engine cowling, nose-gear doors, and exhaust tail pipes.
Probable Cause
The nose gear was prevented from extending properly due to the failure of the bolt attaching the lower torque-link to the nose gear trunnion. This allowed the bolt to protrude from its proper position, preventing the nose landing gear from fully extending. The bolt failure was attributed to fatigue around the circumference of the bolt at the nut end, with final failure in the centre of the shaft. A contributory factor was that the bolt showed evidence of severe corrosion.