At about 1500 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when its nose landing gear collapsed while landing. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Following an uneventful takeoff, the pilot performed the before-landing checklist while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. After verifying normal indications, he employed a short-field landing technique. The pilot applied brakes and retracted the flaps, then heard a “bang” as the nose landing gear collapsed and folded up into the wheel well. The nose subsequently settled onto the runway and both propellers struck the runway surface. The airplane skidded about 200 to 300 yards. Examination revealed the nose landing gear attachment structure was damaged.
