Accident Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II N332BA,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 322724

Date:	Tuesday 18 November 2003
Time:	07:21
Type:	Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
Owner/operator:	Key Lime Air
Registration:	N332BA
MSN:	TC-222E
Year of manufacture:	1976
Total airframe hrs:	23972 hours
Engine model:	Garrett TPE331-10UA-511G
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Grand Junction-Walker Field, CO (GJT) - United States of America
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Rifle-Garfield County Airport, CO (RIL)
Destination airport:	Grand Junction-Walker Field, CO (GJT/KGJT)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
After having been cleared to land on runway 11, the pilot lowered the landing gear. Upon landing the nose continued to drop until it struck the runway. Both propellers struck the runway and several fractured propeller pieces impacted both sides of the fuselage resulting in substantial damage. After initial nose impact, the airplane slid approximately 3,000 feet.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The operator's improper maintenance and servicing of the airplane's nose landing gear assembly, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear during the landing roll. Contributing factors include the nose section of the airplane's subsequent contact with the runway, the impact of several fractured propeller pieces into the fuselage, and the operator's inadequate maintenance and servicing procedures."

Accident investigation: