Pilot of small aircraft had indication of gear unsafe on landing. Attempted to obtain qualified mech...

Attributes
ACN	165594
Time
Date	199012
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mkc
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 43 flight time total : 1250 flight time type : 753
ASRS Report	165594
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After an uneventful trip from apa to mkc, during final approach, when the landing gear lever was placed in the down position there was no gear unsafe (in transit) indication. The gear, however, sounded and felt like a normal gear down. I advised the tower of a potential landing gear problem and made a low pass. The tower reported that the landing gear appeared down. During an extended downwind for landing I attempted 5 or 6 times to recycle the gear. It would not retract by raising the gear lever. It would not retract with the gear lever up and the airspeed safety bypass switch activated. No circuit breaker had popped, so I pulled all 3 and reset them. Still there was no gear retraction. I therefore made a normal, uneventful landing. Taxi in was uneventful and after engine cutoff everyone exited the aircraft. I immediately called factory service center manager in san antonio and advised him of the above. Some possible reasons for the above were discussed; i.e., faulty up limit switch. There was no mechanic identifiable at this time. I asked him if there would be anything wrong or unsafe if I taxied and, if checklist, etc was ok, flying the pattern to see if the gear could be retracted in order to determine if the aircraft could be flown to an appropriate service center for inspection. He said it was not unsafe to do so. I, in fact, specifically asked twice more if there was any possibility of an unsafe condition and was advised there was not. This conversation was left as follows: he would attempt to locate a qualified mechanic. I would taxi and if ok, pattern fly to check gear function and then we would talk in 15 mins. Engine start-up and pretaxi checklist all was fine. I was taxiing to runway 19 (active) and then asked to hold short of runway 21 (intersecting) for landing traffic. I did so. While holding short and at idle power, west/O any activity or warning, the nose gear collapsed, the nose struck the ground and caused sudden engine stoppage. I notified ground control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA HAD INDICATION OF GEAR UNSAFE ON LNDG. ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN QUALIFIED MECHANICAL ADVICE, BUT UNABLE. DETERMINED IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI, BUT HOLDING AT END OF RWY NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, PROPELLER AND NOSE HIT GND. ACFT TOWED TO HANGAR.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TRIP FROM APA TO MKC, DURING FINAL APCH, WHEN THE LNDG GEAR LEVER WAS PLACED IN THE DOWN POS THERE WAS NO GEAR UNSAFE (IN TRANSIT) INDICATION. THE GEAR, HOWEVER, SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE A NORMAL GEAR DOWN. I ADVISED THE TWR OF A POTENTIAL LNDG GEAR PROB AND MADE A LOW PASS. THE TWR RPTED THAT THE LNDG GEAR APPEARED DOWN. DURING AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND FOR LNDG I ATTEMPTED 5 OR 6 TIMES TO RECYCLE THE GEAR. IT WOULD NOT RETRACT BY RAISING THE GEAR LEVER. IT WOULD NOT RETRACT WITH THE GEAR LEVER UP AND THE AIRSPD SAFETY BYPASS SWITCH ACTIVATED. NO CB HAD POPPED, SO I PULLED ALL 3 AND RESET THEM. STILL THERE WAS NO GEAR RETRACTION. I THEREFORE MADE A NORMAL, UNEVENTFUL LNDG. TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL AND AFTER ENG CUTOFF EVERYONE EXITED THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FACTORY SVC CENTER MGR IN SAN ANTONIO AND ADVISED HIM OF THE ABOVE. SOME POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE ABOVE WERE DISCUSSED; I.E., FAULTY UP LIMIT SWITCH. THERE WAS NO MECH IDENTIFIABLE AT THIS TIME. I ASKED HIM IF THERE WOULD BE ANYTHING WRONG OR UNSAFE IF I TAXIED AND, IF CHKLIST, ETC WAS OK, FLYING THE PATTERN TO SEE IF THE GEAR COULD BE RETRACTED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF THE ACFT COULD BE FLOWN TO AN APPROPRIATE SVC CENTER FOR INSPECTION. HE SAID IT WAS NOT UNSAFE TO DO SO. I, IN FACT, SPECIFICALLY ASKED TWICE MORE IF THERE WAS ANY POSSIBILITY OF AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOT. THIS CONVERSATION WAS LEFT AS FOLLOWS: HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO LOCATE A QUALIFIED MECH. I WOULD TAXI AND IF OK, PATTERN FLY TO CHK GEAR FUNCTION AND THEN WE WOULD TALK IN 15 MINS. ENG START-UP AND PRETAXI CHKLIST ALL WAS FINE. I WAS TAXIING TO RWY 19 (ACTIVE) AND THEN ASKED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21 (INTERSECTING) FOR LNDG TFC. I DID SO. WHILE HOLDING SHORT AND AT IDLE PWR, W/O ANY ACTIVITY OR WARNING, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE NOSE STRUCK THE GND AND CAUSED SUDDEN ENG STOPPAGE. I NOTIFIED GND CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Pilot of small aircraft had indication of gear unsafe on landing. Attempted to obtain qualified mechanical advice, but unable. Determined it was safe to taxi, but holding at end of runway nose gear collapsed, propeller and nose hit ground. Aircraft towed to hangar.