NTSB Factual Report

On March 31, 2007, about 1038 eastern daylight time, a Beech E-55, N25612, registered to Baron Flyers, Inc., and operated by an individual, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 91 personal flight, experienced collapse of the nose landing gear during landing roll at Key West International Airport, Key West, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight from Sarasota, Florida, to Key West. The airplane received minor damage and the certificated commercial and the one passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Sarasota, the same day, about 0934.

The pilot stated that when he extended the landing gear on final approach he received a green gear down light. During landing, the initial touchdown was gentle, first on the right main gear, then on the left main gear. He let the nose down gently, but it continued to fall. He pulled back on the control wheel and applied brakes, but the airplane nose contacted the runway. When the airplane stopped he turned off the fuel and the electrical power and he and the passenger exited the airplane.

Examination of the airplane after the incident by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector showed the nose landing gear drag brace was fractured, causing the nose landing gear to collapse. Metallurgical examination of the nose landing gear drag brace was performed at the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The examination showed the drag brace had fractured in the tubing, at a point just forward of the right attach point. The fracture surface was relatively clean with a light discoloration that would be consistent with the onset of corrosion since the separation event. The fracture faces displayed surfaces that were inclined at approximately 45-degrees to the axis of the separated portion of the tubing, consistent with an overload event.

The incident airplane is a Beech model E-55, serial number TE-897, manufactured in January 1973. A representative from Hawker-Beechcraft stated that beginning in model year 1978, with model E-55, serial number 1114, an improved nose landing gear drag brace was incorporated into new production airplanes. Beech also issued service kit 35-4012-1 S, which allowed for upgrade of model E-55 airplanes prior to serial number 1114 with the improved nose landing gear drag brace. The Hawker-Beechcraft representative stated that pictures of the failed drag brace from the accident airplane shows it was not the improved drag brace. Maintenance personnel for the incident airplane owner stated that a review of airplane logbook records show no evidence that the drag brace had been changed in the life of the airplane and that the failed drag brace appeared to be the original supplied with the airplane from the factory.

NTSB Probable Cause

Failure of the nose landing gear drag brace due to overload during landing rollout for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the airplane had not been modified with an improved nose landing gear drag brace.