Narrative:

On preflight at salina, ks (sln) the aircraft checked out ok. On takeoff gear retraction was normal, climbout normal. When I leveled out 11,000' I got the first indication of a problem when, as the airplane accelerated, I felt a vibration from the rudder pedals. Because of this I accelerated to an indicated airspeed of only 160 mph. To confirm the source of vibration I checked the engines. They checked out ok. Then I changed aircraft attitude and found the vibration would momentarily cease. From this I suspected an open nose gear door. Since maintenance and crash fire rescue equipment (if problems arose) were readily available at kansas city downtown (mkc) I elected to proceed there. I flew at an indicated airspeed of 150 mph and held 500 FPM and 180 mph indicated during descent. (Note: the aircraft has a gear extension speed of 180 mph.) when I selected gear down for landing I got 'green' indications for right and left mains but nothing for the nose gear. I initially checked the light by pressing to test, exchanging the nose and right main indicators (then replacing) and even putting a new bulb in the nose indicators all to no avail. I then cycled the gear several times. With no down and locked indications when on final approach I initiated a go around and 'fly-by' of the tower for a visual check. Tower advised he could not see the nose gear. I asked for a second pass so that company personnel could make a visual inspection. After several more cycles no one could see the nose gear on the second pass either. I then went west of the field and tried the following: a) low speed-select gear down and pull-up rapidly to try to throw out the nose gear (no light). B) high speed-select gear down and pull-up rapidly to try to throw out the nose hear (no light). C) 60 degree banks to use the 2-G force to try to pull the nose gear out (no light). In addition to these methods I attempted 2 bounce and go's on runway 19 to try to jar the nose gear down. All attempts failed. I did not declare an emergency or ask for crash fire rescue equipment. I advised tower that I would land on runway 21 so as not to block the active runway (19). Tower called for crash fire rescue equipment on his own accord. When tower cleared me to land on runway 21 I selected gear down to land on the mains and cause minimal damage to the aircraft. I shut off radios on short final and lights and engines after touchdown then gently lowered the nose until runway contact. The nose gear was not down. The plane slid on its nose to a stop on runway 21. The only apparent damage was to the 2 aft gear doors and 2 belly skin panels just aft of the nose gear wheel well. Maintenance found that the front left nose gear door actuator arm had detached and fallen down in front of the nose gear assembly. This apparently kept the assembly from locking down in place. The FAA has already investigated and found no operational or maintenance discrepancy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER SMT LANDED NOSE GEAR UP BECAUSE GEAR ACTUATOR ARM BECAME DETACHED AFTER GEAR RETRACTION.

Narrative: ON PREFLT AT SALINA, KS (SLN) THE ACFT CHECKED OUT OK. ON TKOF GEAR RETRACTION WAS NORMAL, CLIMBOUT NORMAL. WHEN I LEVELED OUT 11,000' I GOT THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WHEN, AS THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED, I FELT A VIBRATION FROM THE RUDDER PEDALS. BECAUSE OF THIS I ACCELERATED TO AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF ONLY 160 MPH. TO CONFIRM THE SOURCE OF VIBRATION I CHECKED THE ENGINES. THEY CHECKED OUT OK. THEN I CHANGED ACFT ATTITUDE AND FOUND THE VIBRATION WOULD MOMENTARILY CEASE. FROM THIS I SUSPECTED AN OPEN NOSE GEAR DOOR. SINCE MAINT AND CFR (IF PROBLEMS AROSE) WERE READILY AVAILABLE AT KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN (MKC) I ELECTED TO PROCEED THERE. I FLEW AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 150 MPH AND HELD 500 FPM AND 180 MPH INDICATED DURING DSCNT. (NOTE: THE ACFT HAS A GEAR EXTENSION SPEED OF 180 MPH.) WHEN I SELECTED GEAR DOWN FOR LNDG I GOT 'GREEN' INDICATIONS FOR RIGHT AND LEFT MAINS BUT NOTHING FOR THE NOSE GEAR. I INITIALLY CHECKED THE LIGHT BY PRESSING TO TEST, EXCHANGING THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN INDICATORS (THEN REPLACING) AND EVEN PUTTING A NEW BULB IN THE NOSE INDICATORS ALL TO NO AVAIL. I THEN CYCLED THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES. WITH NO DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATIONS WHEN ON FINAL APCH I INITIATED A GO AROUND AND 'FLY-BY' OF THE TWR FOR A VISUAL CHECK. TWR ADVISED HE COULD NOT SEE THE NOSE GEAR. I ASKED FOR A SECOND PASS SO THAT COMPANY PERSONNEL COULD MAKE A VISUAL INSPECTION. AFTER SEVERAL MORE CYCLES NO ONE COULD SEE THE NOSE GEAR ON THE SECOND PASS EITHER. I THEN WENT WEST OF THE FIELD AND TRIED THE FOLLOWING: A) LOW SPEED-SELECT GEAR DOWN AND PULL-UP RAPIDLY TO TRY TO THROW OUT THE NOSE GEAR (NO LIGHT). B) HIGH SPEED-SELECT GEAR DOWN AND PULL-UP RAPIDLY TO TRY TO THROW OUT THE NOSE HEAR (NO LIGHT). C) 60 DEG BANKS TO USE THE 2-G FORCE TO TRY TO PULL THE NOSE GEAR OUT (NO LIGHT). IN ADDITION TO THESE METHODS I ATTEMPTED 2 BOUNCE AND GO'S ON RWY 19 TO TRY TO JAR THE NOSE GEAR DOWN. ALL ATTEMPTS FAILED. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER OR ASK FOR CFR. I ADVISED TWR THAT I WOULD LAND ON RWY 21 SO AS NOT TO BLOCK THE ACTIVE RWY (19). TWR CALLED FOR CFR ON HIS OWN ACCORD. WHEN TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 21 I SELECTED GEAR DOWN TO LAND ON THE MAINS AND CAUSE MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I SHUT OFF RADIOS ON SHORT FINAL AND LIGHTS AND ENGINES AFTER TOUCHDOWN THEN GENTLY LOWERED THE NOSE UNTIL RWY CONTACT. THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. THE PLANE SLID ON ITS NOSE TO A STOP ON RWY 21. THE ONLY APPARENT DAMAGE WAS TO THE 2 AFT GEAR DOORS AND 2 BELLY SKIN PANELS JUST AFT OF THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL. MAINT FOUND THAT THE FRONT LEFT NOSE GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR ARM HAD DETACHED AND FALLEN DOWN IN FRONT OF THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY. THIS APPARENTLY KEPT THE ASSEMBLY FROM LOCKING DOWN IN PLACE. THE FAA HAS ALREADY INVESTIGATED AND FOUND NO OPERATIONAL OR MAINT DISCREPANCY.

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.