Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Lowcounty Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Walterboro, South Carolina 29488
Sunday, January 16, 2011 15:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported hearing a “pop” sound from the nose gear area when the gear was extended for the landing. Toward the end of the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the nose gear revealed that the bolt that holds the downlock drag brace joint link to the airframe structure had fractured. A metallurgical examination revealed that the bolt failed in reverse bending fatigue, which is associated with the bolt having insufficient clamping pressure (looseness). The airplane’s last required inspection was about 70 flight hours and 40 gear cycles before the nose gear collapsing, and the nose gear downlock system rigging should have been inspected at that time.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadequate inspection and rigging of the nose landing gear downlock mechanism by maintenance personnel, which resulted in the failure of a bolt and the subsequent collapse of the nose gear during the landing roll.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 1/16/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Walterboro |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29488 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 325515N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803828W |
| Event Location Airport | Lowcounty Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RBW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1500 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RBW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 100 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29490 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Civilian, Owner |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 19 2011 2:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N52CD |
| NTSB Number | ERA11IA172 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MITSUBISHI |
| Aircraft Model | MU-2B-20 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 174 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9920 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 9 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 14 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 71 |
| Airframe Hours | 8125 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HAYES LANDING LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 206 W CARTERET ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | EDENTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27932-1808 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | John Wood |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | EDENTON |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 27932-1808 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EDE |
| Departure City | Edenton |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | RBW |
| Destination City | Watertown |
| Destination State | SC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 19 2011 2:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 6002 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |