Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing rollout.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll the airplane experienced a nosewheel shimmy, followed by the airplane drifting to the right. He said that he applied left rudder, but an over correction resulted in the airplane departing the left side of the runway and impacting uneven terrain. The airplane's nose gear subsequently separated, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and the outboard section of the right wing. A postaccident examination did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll the airplane experienced a nose wheel shimmy, followed by the airplane drifting to the right. The pilot stated that he applied left rudder to correct back to the left, but an over correction resulted in the airplane departing the left side of the runway and impacting uneven terrain. The airplane's nose gear subsequently separated, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and the outboard section of the right wing. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the airplane with no mechanical anomalies identified. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.