Wheels up landing involving a Cessna 402C, VH-RMQ, Snake Bay, Northern Territory, on 6 March 1994

The pilot noticed an abnormal noise as the landing gear retracted following take-off from Bathurst Island. After selecting the gear down in the circuit area at Snake Bay he noticed that all three gear down lights were illuminated.

A normal circuit and landing was carried out, but during the landing roll as the nosewheel contacted the runway it collapsed rearwards, allowing the underside of the nose and both propellers to contact the runway.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the nose gear retract actuating rod had failed at the drag brace rod-end fitting. Because of the location of this failure the gear down microswitches were still actuated, giving the pilot a false gear down and locked indication.