Summary
Circumstances:
On arrival at Fanning River the pilot lowered the landing gear and obtained an indication that the landing gear was locked down. The aircraft subsequently touched down on the mainwheels and shortly after the pilot lowered the nosewheel to the ground, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft slid to a stop on the strip, in a nose down attitude. An inspection of the aircraft revealed that the nose gear assembly showed signs of excessive freeplay. This resulted in an excessive load on the down lock bracket and its ultimate failure in overload during this landing. The strip surface was rough, consisting of sandy soil covered with tufts of grass. The nature of the surface probably contributed to the failure.
Significant Factors:
The following factors were considered relevant to the development of the accident:
1. The strip surface was rough.
2. The nose gear assembly showed signs of excessive wear and had not been maintained adequately.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | 198903756 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 14/03/1989 |
| Location | Fanning River Station, 65 km south-west of Townsville |
| State | Queensland |
| Report release date | 09/08/1990 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Occurrence class | Accident |
| Highest injury level | None |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Piper Aircraft Corp |
|---|---|
| Model | PA-28 |
| Registration | VH-SLH |
| Serial number | 28R-7135126 |
| Sector | Piston |
| Operation type | Private |
| Departure point | Woodstock QLD |
| Destination | Fanning River Station QLD |
| Damage | Substantial |