Narrative:

My aircraft was making a visual approach to memphis following a cross country flight from 1k1. Memphis approach and tower vectored me over the north end of runways 36L and 36R on a left downwind for runway 27, at 2500 ft MSL (approximately 2100 ft AGL). Winds were from 300 at 10 KTS. Upon passing the approach end of runway 27, the tower called my descent. I reduced power, causing the gear horn to sound, then selected gear down at 120 KTS IAS. The in transit light came on, and I slowed down to 100 KTS IAS and selected 2 notches of flaps down. I then began to descend at about 1000 FPM. I felt the slight kick in the rudder pedals that is a typical indication of nose gear extension, the gear in transit light went out, and I confirmed 3 green landing gear indicators on the panel. Tower then called my turn to base, which I acknowledged, executed, and went full flaps for the rest of descent. About 1/4 mi from the threshold and 300 ft AGL I turned onto final at towers request, noting that I was above the VASI but descending nicely. I reduced flaps one notch as I came on the VASI, and made a final check of switched and indicators as I crossed the threshold, noting again the 3 green landing gear indicators. All remained normal as I touched down on the mains and held attitude for a few seconds. When I lowered the nose of the aircraft to the runway, the nose gear folded up. My first indication was when the nose passed the normal 3 point attitude and kept descending. The gear in transit light came on, and the green indicator for the nose gear went out. By the time this had registered, the propeller had struck the runway, bending it and killing the engine. The nose of the aircraft contacted the runway, and I was able to steer onto an approaching taxiway with differential braking. I heard tower call off the plane that was landing behind me, and I reported to tower that I had had a gear failure. They said that they had crash trucks on the way, and I acknowledged that and said I was leaving the aircraft. I shut down fuel, master switch, and magnetos and got out of the plane and met the emergency crews. It was later discovered that a bent landing gear downlock hook had not fully engaged, causing an unsafe nose gear condition even when the indicator light showed safe and complete extension. Although it was a somewhat rushed approach, the haste made me a little extra cautious and certain to check the gear twice before touchdown. Landing gear and associated systems have always been an important part of my preflight check with any complex aircraft, but I'll be looking closer in the future for bent or misadjusted parts. The particular hook that caused my downfall may have been bent in a hard landing (by another pilot) some 3 days earlier, an incident that was witnessed by other pilots, but not thought worthy of mention by any. Given this experience, I think any hard landing (particularly in a retract airplane) should be noted to the FBO so a thorough gear inspection can reduce the possibility of a later, more expensive, mishap.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED DURING LNDG ROLL-OUT.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO MEMPHIS FOLLOWING A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM 1K1. MEMPHIS APCH AND TWR VECTORED ME OVER THE N END OF RWYS 36L AND 36R ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27, AT 2500 FT MSL (APPROX 2100 FT AGL). WINDS WERE FROM 300 AT 10 KTS. UPON PASSING THE APCH END OF RWY 27, THE TWR CALLED MY DSCNT. I REDUCED PWR, CAUSING THE GEAR HORN TO SOUND, THEN SELECTED GEAR DOWN AT 120 KTS IAS. THE IN TRANSIT LIGHT CAME ON, AND I SLOWED DOWN TO 100 KTS IAS AND SELECTED 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS DOWN. I THEN BEGAN TO DSND AT ABOUT 1000 FPM. I FELT THE SLIGHT KICK IN THE RUDDER PEDALS THAT IS A TYPICAL INDICATION OF NOSE GEAR EXTENSION, THE GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT WENT OUT, AND I CONFIRMED 3 GREEN LNDG GEAR INDICATORS ON THE PANEL. TWR THEN CALLED MY TURN TO BASE, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED, EXECUTED, AND WENT FULL FLAPS FOR THE REST OF DSCNT. ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD AND 300 FT AGL I TURNED ONTO FINAL AT TWRS REQUEST, NOTING THAT I WAS ABOVE THE VASI BUT DSNDING NICELY. I REDUCED FLAPS ONE NOTCH AS I CAME ON THE VASI, AND MADE A FINAL CHK OF SWITCHED AND INDICATORS AS I CROSSED THE THRESHOLD, NOTING AGAIN THE 3 GREEN LNDG GEAR INDICATORS. ALL REMAINED NORMAL AS I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAINS AND HELD ATTITUDE FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN I LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TO THE RWY, THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED UP. MY FIRST INDICATION WAS WHEN THE NOSE PASSED THE NORMAL 3 POINT ATTITUDE AND KEPT DSNDING. THE GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE GREEN INDICATOR FOR THE NOSE GEAR WENT OUT. BY THE TIME THIS HAD REGISTERED, THE PROP HAD STRUCK THE RWY, BENDING IT AND KILLING THE ENG. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT CONTACTED THE RWY, AND I WAS ABLE TO STEER ONTO AN APCHING TAXIWAY WITH DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. I HEARD TWR CALL OFF THE PLANE THAT WAS LNDG BEHIND ME, AND I RPTED TO TWR THAT I HAD HAD A GEAR FAILURE. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD CRASH TRUCKS ON THE WAY, AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT AND SAID I WAS LEAVING THE ACFT. I SHUT DOWN FUEL, MASTER SWITCH, AND MAGNETOS AND GOT OUT OF THE PLANE AND MET THE EMER CREWS. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT A BENT LNDG GEAR DOWNLOCK HOOK HAD NOT FULLY ENGAGED, CAUSING AN UNSAFE NOSE GEAR CONDITION EVEN WHEN THE INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWED SAFE AND COMPLETE EXTENSION. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A SOMEWHAT RUSHED APCH, THE HASTE MADE ME A LITTLE EXTRA CAUTIOUS AND CERTAIN TO CHK THE GEAR TWICE BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. LNDG GEAR AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY PREFLT CHK WITH ANY COMPLEX ACFT, BUT I'LL BE LOOKING CLOSER IN THE FUTURE FOR BENT OR MISADJUSTED PARTS. THE PARTICULAR HOOK THAT CAUSED MY DOWNFALL MAY HAVE BEEN BENT IN A HARD LNDG (BY ANOTHER PLT) SOME 3 DAYS EARLIER, AN INCIDENT THAT WAS WITNESSED BY OTHER PLTS, BUT NOT THOUGHT WORTHY OF MENTION BY ANY. GIVEN THIS EXPERIENCE, I THINK ANY HARD LNDG (PARTICULARLY IN A RETRACT AIRPLANE) SHOULD BE NOTED TO THE FBO SO A THOROUGH GEAR INSPECTION CAN REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF A LATER, MORE EXPENSIVE, MISHAP.

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.