Narrative:

When returning to fai following a 40 min pleasure flight, both communication radios were dead. After trying a separate microphone west/O results, I tried to get light signals from the tower. I made 3 approachs to the control tower, waggled the wings and flashed the landing light, but could not get their attention. So I determined to land at metropolitan field, a nearby uncontrolled airport, to telephone for clearance into fai. Upon landing on the snow covered runway, it proved to have a 4' frozen crust on top of another 6' of snow. When the nose wheel broke through the crust, the back pressure was apparently too strong and bent the nose gear backward. It slowly collapsed and then the propeller struck the ground. Later, I thought perhaps if I had squawked 7700 and 7600 on the transponder, it would have gotten the attention of the tower, and light signals. Both communication radios were operating when I departed fai 40 mins earlier. Recommendations: nose gear built to withstand a little more back pressure--if that is feasible. Note to air traffic controllers to be a little more alert to planes with possible radio failure. I was flying very near the radar transmitter, so they should have seen me, and given me a light signal. Perhaps encourage controllers and pilots to practice radio-out procedures when traffic is slow. The runway condition was not normal and could not be anticipated, nor could it be determined from the air. It was freshly plowed early the next morning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN SMA LANDED ON SNOW COVERED RWY AT MTF AFTER DIVERTING FROM FAI DUE TO RADIO EQUIP PROBLEM.

Narrative: WHEN RETURNING TO FAI FOLLOWING A 40 MIN PLEASURE FLT, BOTH COM RADIOS WERE DEAD. AFTER TRYING A SEPARATE MIC W/O RESULTS, I TRIED TO GET LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. I MADE 3 APCHS TO THE CTL TWR, WAGGLED THE WINGS AND FLASHED THE LNDG LIGHT, BUT COULD NOT GET THEIR ATTN. SO I DETERMINED TO LAND AT METRO FIELD, A NEARBY UNCONTROLLED ARPT, TO TELEPHONE FOR CLRNC INTO FAI. UPON LNDG ON THE SNOW COVERED RWY, IT PROVED TO HAVE A 4' FROZEN CRUST ON TOP OF ANOTHER 6' OF SNOW. WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE THROUGH THE CRUST, THE BACK PRESSURE WAS APPARENTLY TOO STRONG AND BENT THE NOSE GEAR BACKWARD. IT SLOWLY COLLAPSED AND THEN THE PROP STRUCK THE GND. LATER, I THOUGHT PERHAPS IF I HAD SQUAWKED 7700 AND 7600 ON THE XPONDER, IT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE ATTN OF THE TWR, AND LIGHT SIGNALS. BOTH COM RADIOS WERE OPERATING WHEN I DEPARTED FAI 40 MINS EARLIER. RECOMMENDATIONS: NOSE GEAR BUILT TO WITHSTAND A LITTLE MORE BACK PRESSURE--IF THAT IS FEASIBLE. NOTE TO AIR TFC CTLRS TO BE A LITTLE MORE ALERT TO PLANES WITH POSSIBLE RADIO FAILURE. I WAS FLYING VERY NEAR THE RADAR XMITTER, SO THEY SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME, AND GIVEN ME A LIGHT SIGNAL. PERHAPS ENCOURAGE CTLRS AND PLTS TO PRACTICE RADIO-OUT PROCS WHEN TFC IS SLOW. THE RWY CONDITION WAS NOT NORMAL AND COULD NOT BE ANTICIPATED, NOR COULD IT BE DETERMINED FROM THE AIR. IT WAS FRESHLY PLOWED EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.