The pilot reported that during landing at the airport in Cassville, Missouri, the Piper PA-46-310P oscillated left and right as he attempted to maintain directional control on the ground.
The airplane departed the left side of the runway and crashed in a ravine, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing spar.
The pilot told investigators that before the flight he had reinstalled the nose landing gear steering arm, but did not properly secure the steering linkage to the steering arm.
Because he did not properly secure the steering linkage, the nose landing gear was not aligned with the runway during the landing.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to reinstall the nose landing gear linkage prior to the flight which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
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This December 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
