Narrative:

Making final approach on runway 34, pierce county, thun field (1s0). Full flaps, airspeed on short final 67 KIAS. On touchdown stall warning horn was going off just as main gear touched down 57 KIAS. As nose gear touched down, aircraft began moving to the left of centerline. I applied right rudder pedal, but the aircraft did not respond. Further application of right rudder and brake did not give any aircraft steering control. As the aircraft was about 30 ft from leaving runway, both brakes were applied. The aircraft left the runway at mid field, between runway 34 and taxiway, came to rest with nose gear completely collapsed, propeller was bent, lower cowling damage. No injuries occurred. Upon inspection, I feel the cause was improper weld penetration of upper left support tubing at upper nose gear sleeve, tube separated from sleeve allowing nose gear to be at top to swing to the right allowing wheel and tire to swing left, causing no steering control, and aircraft to move left. At time of loss of control, aircraft was traveling 40-45 KIAS. The upper left support bar on this aircraft has had a history of separation and been repaired several times. Proper weld penetration between upper control bar and nose wheel support tube would have prevented separation and nose wheel collapse. Wind conditions: 290 degrees at 5 KTS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: an attempted callback proved futile as the reporter is out of town until mid nov. The question in this analyst's mind: is this failure peculiar to his aircraft or to all aircraft of this type?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON AN SMA ON ROLLOUT AFTER NORMAL TOUCHDOWN.

Narrative: MAKING FINAL APCH ON RWY 34, PIERCE COUNTY, THUN FIELD (1S0). FULL FLAPS, AIRSPD ON SHORT FINAL 67 KIAS. ON TOUCHDOWN STALL WARNING HORN WAS GOING OFF JUST AS MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN 57 KIAS. AS NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, ACFT BEGAN MOVING TO THE L OF CTRLINE. I APPLIED R RUDDER PEDAL, BUT THE ACFT DID NOT RESPOND. FURTHER APPLICATION OF R RUDDER AND BRAKE DID NOT GIVE ANY ACFT STEERING CTL. AS THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 30 FT FROM LEAVING RWY, BOTH BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE ACFT LEFT THE RWY AT MID FIELD, BTWN RWY 34 AND TAXIWAY, CAME TO REST WITH NOSE GEAR COMPLETELY COLLAPSED, PROP WAS BENT, LOWER COWLING DAMAGE. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. UPON INSPECTION, I FEEL THE CAUSE WAS IMPROPER WELD PENETRATION OF UPPER L SUPPORT TUBING AT UPPER NOSE GEAR SLEEVE, TUBE SEPARATED FROM SLEEVE ALLOWING NOSE GEAR TO BE AT TOP TO SWING TO THE R ALLOWING WHEEL AND TIRE TO SWING L, CAUSING NO STEERING CTL, AND ACFT TO MOVE L. AT TIME OF LOSS OF CTL, ACFT WAS TRAVELING 40-45 KIAS. THE UPPER L SUPPORT BAR ON THIS ACFT HAS HAD A HISTORY OF SEPARATION AND BEEN REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES. PROPER WELD PENETRATION BTWN UPPER CTL BAR AND NOSE WHEEL SUPPORT TUBE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED SEPARATION AND NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSE. WIND CONDITIONS: 290 DEGS AT 5 KTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: AN ATTEMPTED CALLBACK PROVED FUTILE AS THE RPTR IS OUT OF TOWN UNTIL MID NOV. THE QUESTION IN THIS ANALYST'S MIND: IS THIS FAILURE PECULIAR TO HIS ACFT OR TO ALL ACFT OF THIS TYPE?

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.