Pilot Debrief

AERO COMMANDER 100-180 near Gordonville, TX — 2023-03-18

Final reportWPR23LA130
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Date
2023-03-18
Location
Gordonville, TX, USA
Airport
3T0
Aircraft
AERO COMMANDER 100-180
Registration
N4064X
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

A fatigue fracture of the nose landing gear scissor link, which resulted in a separation of the nose landing gear piston assembly.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying the last airplane to land in a group of six airplanes. During the landing, the main landing gear touched down on the grass runway and the airplane bounced once. When the airplane touched down again, the nose landing gear collapsed, the propeller blades contacted the grass, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the nose landing gear scissor link showed that the fracture face had failed from fatigue, which resulted in a separation of the nose landing gear piston assembly. Based on witness reports, ground scars, and damage to the nosewheel fairing, it’s likely the scissor link failed either during the initial touchdown or when the nose wheel touched down after the bounced landing. The strut remained attached to the airplane at the engine mount. The aircraft logbooks showed that a bushing on the scissor link had been replaced several months before the accident. There was insufficient evidence to determine the source of the fatigue crack and whether a mechanic would have been able to identify the fatigue during a visual inspection.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Inspection of the nose landing gear scissor link prior to the flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 11 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents11

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