What happened
On 23 January 2008, a Bushbaby microlight, registration ZU-EPH, was performing a private flight from Morning Star Aerodrome to Alton Aerodrome. During the landing sequence on runway 09, the aircraft's nose wheel disconnected from the nose gear fork. As the aircraft traveled at approximately 30 mph, the exposed nose gear fork dug into the ground, causing the aircraft to flip over. The aircraft skidded across the runway and came to a rest in an inverted position. The pilot escaped the wreckage without any injuries, though the aircraft sustained extensive damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the mechanical state of the landing gear following the accident. The inquiry focused on the components responsible for securing the nose wheel to the aircraft's structure. The investigation also reviewed the maintenance history of the aircraft, noting that the most recent annual inspection had been completed on 20 September 2007, with 20.0 flying hours logged since that service.
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the nose wheel securing nut failed because the bolt used was of insufficient length. This improper hardware allowed the bolt to migrate out of the assembly, leading to the separation of the wheel from the nose gear fork.