Hard landing, nose gear collapses on landing procedure.

Attributes
ACN	237901
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1v5
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 46 flight time total : 2260 flight time type : 1370
ASRS Report	237901
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was left seat instructor. Student was flying the plane from the right seat. Student was performing a short field, 50 ft obstacle landing. I had just demonstrated one on the takeoff and landing prior. He set up a stabilized power-on approach to clear the 50 ft obstacle. As he flew I verbalized the next step. I reiterated to him that in the transition from approach to flare he would need a little bit more power than normal in order to reduce the sink rate to make a safe landing. As the instructor, my hand was on the power quadrant. His hand on the throttles, my hand below his on the throttle shafts. As he cleared the obstacle he chopped the power instead of adding power. I added power to reduce the sink rate. His hand resisted a little and prevented me from getting all the power I wanted but I was able to arrest the sink rate and make a firm landing. The mains touched down, then I chopped the power, then the nosewheel touched. The nosewheel continued on through as it collapsed. The landing was not hard or excessive. It was not, in my opinion, firm enough to cause the collapse. I suspect mechanical failure. The nose gear had had some work done on it in jan/93 (only a few takeoffs and lndgs ago). Also, these small aircraft's have a nose gear collapsing problem. I do not know the cause at this time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HARD LNDG, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSES ON LNDG PROC.

Narrative: I WAS L SEAT INSTRUCTOR. STUDENT WAS FLYING THE PLANE FROM THE R SEAT. STUDENT WAS PERFORMING A SHORT FIELD, 50 FT OBSTACLE LNDG. I HAD JUST DEMONSTRATED ONE ON THE TKOF AND LNDG PRIOR. HE SET UP A STABILIZED PWR-ON APCH TO CLR THE 50 FT OBSTACLE. AS HE FLEW I VERBALIZED THE NEXT STEP. I REITERATED TO HIM THAT IN THE TRANSITION FROM APCH TO FLARE HE WOULD NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE PWR THAN NORMAL IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE SINK RATE TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. AS THE INSTRUCTOR, MY HAND WAS ON THE PWR QUADRANT. HIS HAND ON THE THROTTLES, MY HAND BELOW HIS ON THE THROTTLE SHAFTS. AS HE CLRED THE OBSTACLE HE CHOPPED THE PWR INSTEAD OF ADDING PWR. I ADDED PWR TO REDUCE THE SINK RATE. HIS HAND RESISTED A LITTLE AND PREVENTED ME FROM GETTING ALL THE PWR I WANTED BUT I WAS ABLE TO ARREST THE SINK RATE AND MAKE A FIRM LNDG. THE MAINS TOUCHED DOWN, THEN I CHOPPED THE PWR, THEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED. THE NOSEWHEEL CONTINUED ON THROUGH AS IT COLLAPSED. THE LNDG WAS NOT HARD OR EXCESSIVE. IT WAS NOT, IN MY OPINION, FIRM ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE COLLAPSE. I SUSPECT MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE NOSE GEAR HAD HAD SOME WORK DONE ON IT IN JAN/93 (ONLY A FEW TKOFS AND LNDGS AGO). ALSO, THESE SMA'S HAVE A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSING PROB. I DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE AT THIS TIME.

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.