AAIB investigation to Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, G-BZAH
Nose landing gear drag link spring failed during a normal landing, Netheravon Airfield, Wiltshire, 21 February 2018.
Summary:
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, following a normal landing, he heard a loud bang, after which the aircraft nose appeared to be lower than normal. He stopped the aircraft and shut it down to carry out an inspection. This identified that the nose landing gear drag link spring had failed (Figure 1).
A detailed analysis of the failed part, carried out on behalf of the operator, indicated that the failure was most likely due to damage to the protective coating which had allowed the high-strength steel material to be exposed to moisture. A corrosion fatigue mechanism then led to the crack which resulted in the failure.
The failure is being dealt with through normal continued airworthiness processes.
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