NTSB Factual Report

On July 23, 2004, about 1645 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt twin-engine Defiant, N369BL, registered to a private individual, experienced collapse of the nose landing gear upon touchdown at the DeLand Municipal-Sidney H. Taylor Field (DeLand Airport), DeLand, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from the Massey Ranch Airpark, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, to the DeLand Airport, DeLand, Florida. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 1550, from the Massey Ranch Airpark.

The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport area where he lowered the retractable nose landing gear during the base leg to land on runway 05. The flight turned final, touched down first on the main landing gears, then when he lowered the nose landing gear to the runway, it appeared to hold for an instant then collapsed. The airplane slid a distance then came to rest upright; he secured the airplane then both he and the passenger evacuated it. The nose was raised from the runway, the nose landing gear manual gear extension/retraction handle was lowered and locked into position, which locked the nose landing gear into the down and locked position. There is no nose landing gear down and locked indication in the cockpit; he could see the nose landing gear was extended. He further reported there was no failure of the nose landing gear retraction/extension components, and the nose gear collapse was not a rigging issue but rather his failure to push forward on the retraction/extension handle with enough force.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the pilot to fully extend the nose landing gear resulting in collapse of it during the landing roll. A contributing factor in the accident was the lack of a nose landing gear down and locked indicator.