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September 2, 2021 · Cessna 172E · N3965S

Enterprise, OR

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
September 2, 2021
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Enterprise, OR
Aircraft
Cessna 172E (1964)
Tail Number
N3965S
Operator
Jepsen William R Trustee
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
WPR21LA337

During landing, when the nose gear contacted the runway, the airplane immediately veered to the right, exited the runway surface, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose gear upper torque link had fractured near the shock strut mount and separated from the shock strut, which resulted in a loss of directional control. Metallurgical examination of the fracture surfaces of the upper torque link revealed signatures consistent with a fatigue fracture.

NTSB Probable Cause

The fatigue fracture of the nose gear upper torque link, which resulted in the separation of the torque link from the shock strut and a loss of directional control.

Full Narrative

On September 2, 2021, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172E airplane, N3965S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Enterprise, Oregon. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that following a light touchdown on the center of runway 30, the airplane rolled smoothly on its main wheels for a couple of seconds. As the airplane slowed and the nose wheel engaged the ground, the airplane veered to the left, and the nose gear fully collapsed. He pushed the right rudder and applied full brakes to the right wheel. The airplane exited the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The nose gear upper torque link was separated from the shock strut. A section of the upper torque link remained attached to the shock strut. The two sections of the upper torque link were removed and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory for further examination. (See figure 1.) Figure 1. Photo showing the lower and upper torque link. The red arrow points to the fracture. Flat areas were observed at the forward ribs on the fracture surface of the upper torque link. The flat areas emanated from the forward edge of the ribs and extended almost until the transition from the ribs to the web of the upper torque link. The fracture surface of the cleaned upper torque link was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Within the flat areas on the fracture surface transgranular features consistent with fatigue cracking were observed. Outside the flat areas the fracture surface features were consistent with dimpled rupture from overstress. No specific entries pertaining to the nose gear torque links were observed in the airframe logbook.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time11:30 PDT
Nearest AirportEnterprise Municipal Airport (0nm WNW)
Runway30
Runway Length2850 ft
Runway Width50 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 172E
Tail NumberN3965S
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorJepsen William R Trustee
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-300D · Reciprocating · 145
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 66 · Basc · None
Crew 2None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point64 F / 27 F
Altimeter30.10 inHg
Observation Time11:35
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data