Wheels up landing involving a Beech Aircraft Corp A36, VH-PDS, Albany, Western Australia, on 3 February 1995

The pilot reported that he had an electrical failure whilst enroute to Albany. He elected to continue the flight on battery power. The pilot reported the night landing at Albany was normal but that the nosewheel had collapsed during the landing role and the aircraft had slid to a stop on its nose.

An engineer who inspected the aircraft reported that the aircraft had suffered a heavy landing damaging both the nosewheel retraction/extension rod and the rear, lower fuselage tie down point. The nosewheel had collapsed because the retraction/extension rod had failed in overload.

It is possible the pilot, deprived of normal cockpit illumination by low battery power, misjudged the approach and allowed the aircraft to land heavily.