Circumstances:
The pilot was on an intermediate stop on return to Alice Springs from Yulara. At about 90 knots on the take-off roll just before rotation, the pilot heard a metallic thump and the nose of the aircraft dropped onto the ground. The aircraft slid to a stop as the pilot completed his shutdown checks. An inspection of the strip by the pilot after the accident revealed that the nosewheel had apparently struck a partially submerged rock uncovered by recent raking of the strip surface. The nosewheel tyre was reportedly blown and the nose gear link apparently failed in overload allowing the nose leg to collapse.
