Narrative:

The flight was uneventful, landing was to be made for personal reasons (bathroom stop) plus to top off fuel tanks, although more than enough fuel was on board to finish the flight aln-stj, 2:30 with 4:30 hours fuel on board. The approach was fine to almost excellent. On landing, the nose tire suffered a blow out. Weight was kept on the main tires for as long as possible till the airspeed was too low to keep the nose off, once the nose was lowered directional control was affected causing the plane to run off the side of the runway by 5 ft for the left main, 2 inches for the nose, right main remained on the runway. Engine was immediately shut down by pilot, emergency declared, and aircraft secured (magnetos, master). Pilot, solo occupant of the aircraft, egressed aircraft. Crash and rescue responded. No aid was needed other than movement of aircraft off runway to the ramp. Damage to aircraft: 1 nose tire destroyed, and at first look no metal or airframe was damaged. No propeller strike occurred. Damage was limited to nose tire, and possible front fork. The pilot, upon request, gave information to columbia tower, kansas city flight standards office and the crash and rescue group. (I was told I had to call them.) the general feeling among the witness and myself (the pilot) was it was just bad luck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE WHEEL TIRE OF SMA BLOWS ON LNDG PROC AND ACFT SUFFERS A RWY EXCURSION. ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, LNDG WAS TO BE MADE FOR PERSONAL REASONS (BATHROOM STOP) PLUS TO TOP OFF FUEL TANKS, ALTHOUGH MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL WAS ON BOARD TO FINISH THE FLT ALN-STJ, 2:30 WITH 4:30 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. THE APCH WAS FINE TO ALMOST EXCELLENT. ON LNDG, THE NOSE TIRE SUFFERED A BLOW OUT. WT WAS KEPT ON THE MAIN TIRES FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE TILL THE AIRSPD WAS TOO LOW TO KEEP THE NOSE OFF, ONCE THE NOSE WAS LOWERED DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS AFFECTED CAUSING THE PLANE TO RUN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY BY 5 FT FOR THE L MAIN, 2 INCHES FOR THE NOSE, R MAIN REMAINED ON THE RWY. ENG WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN BY PLT, EMER DECLARED, AND ACFT SECURED (MAGNETOS, MASTER). PLT, SOLO OCCUPANT OF THE ACFT, EGRESSED ACFT. CRASH AND RESCUE RESPONDED. NO AID WAS NEEDED OTHER THAN MOVEMENT OF ACFT OFF RWY TO THE RAMP. DAMAGE TO ACFT: 1 NOSE TIRE DESTROYED, AND AT FIRST LOOK NO METAL OR AIRFRAME WAS DAMAGED. NO PROP STRIKE OCCURRED. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO NOSE TIRE, AND POSSIBLE FRONT FORK. THE PLT, UPON REQUEST, GAVE INFO TO COLUMBIA TWR, KANSAS CITY FLT STANDARDS OFFICE AND THE CRASH AND RESCUE GROUP. (I WAS TOLD I HAD TO CALL THEM.) THE GENERAL FEELING AMONG THE WITNESS AND MYSELF (THE PLT) WAS IT WAS JUST BAD LUCK.

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.