Narrative:

I, the flight instructor, was giving instruction to my student who was training to acquire her flight instructor certificate. After reviewing a series of high altitude maneuvers, including some of which required cycling of the landing gear, we approached the airport at D95 for some takeoffs and lndgs. After completing a pre-landing check on downwind leg and completing the turns to base and final, I always have my students complete a final check of the landing gear down and locked indication in the aircraft. In this particular make and model, this consists of 3 green lights, 1 for each main gear and 1 for the nosewheel. The student did this by touching and verbalizing gear down and locked although the nose gear light was not lit. She then proceeded to retard the throttle to idle for the landing, at which time the gear warning horn sounded and the student became quite confused as she thought it was the stall warning horn. At this point, I took control of the airplane and executed a go around and re-entered the pattern. After cycling the gear a couple of times and still unable to acquire a nose light, we departed the pattern and completed several emergency gear down procedures. We were still unable to obtain a gear down and locked indication. We then contacted the local unicom operator, and he, along with 2 of their a and P mechanics, observed as we made several low approachs down the runway. Their conclusion was that the nosewheel was coming down but not locking and, in addition, on the final low approach they were able to determine that the nosewheel was also turned about 15 degrees off center. At this time, I made the decision that we would land at the lapeer airport as opposed to returning to our departure airport, and also that we would land on the paved runway 36 as opposed to landing on 1 of their 2 grass runways. I also briefed my instructor applicant on what duties I would have her perform (primarily turning off the fuel selector valve) had her place a seat cushion in front of her. I then executed the landing and held the nose off as long as possible. As the nose settled to the runway, I was able to maintain direction control using the rudder and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. We shut down all electrical, turned off the fuel valve and departed the airplane. The mechanics, upon raising the nose of the airplane, were able to manually pull the nose gear into the down and locked position and tow the airplane to the ramp. As of this writing, a determination has not been made as to the cause of the mechanical failure. The damage appears to be limited to the propeller and bottom cowl. I did notice that the exhaust stacks did not touch the ground and were not damaged. This was a valuable learning experience for my student, and we spent our lesson the next day discussing the events of the previous day and I explained all the decisions that were made and why.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKES EMER LNDG WHEN NOSE GEAR IS NOT LOCKED IN THE DOWN POS.

Narrative: I, THE FLT INSTRUCTOR, WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION TO MY STUDENT WHO WAS TRAINING TO ACQUIRE HER FLT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE. AFTER REVIEWING A SERIES OF HIGH ALT MANEUVERS, INCLUDING SOME OF WHICH REQUIRED CYCLING OF THE LNDG GEAR, WE APCHED THE ARPT AT D95 FOR SOME TKOFS AND LNDGS. AFTER COMPLETING A PRE-LNDG CHK ON DOWNWIND LEG AND COMPLETING THE TURNS TO BASE AND FINAL, I ALWAYS HAVE MY STUDENTS COMPLETE A FINAL CHK OF THE LNDG GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION IN THE ACFT. IN THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL, THIS CONSISTS OF 3 GREEN LIGHTS, 1 FOR EACH MAIN GEAR AND 1 FOR THE NOSEWHEEL. THE STUDENT DID THIS BY TOUCHING AND VERBALIZING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED ALTHOUGH THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS NOT LIT. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO RETARD THE THROTTLE TO IDLE FOR THE LNDG, AT WHICH TIME THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED AND THE STUDENT BECAME QUITE CONFUSED AS SHE THOUGHT IT WAS THE STALL WARNING HORN. AT THIS POINT, I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND EXECUTED A GAR AND RE-ENTERED THE PATTERN. AFTER CYCLING THE GEAR A COUPLE OF TIMES AND STILL UNABLE TO ACQUIRE A NOSE LIGHT, WE DEPARTED THE PATTERN AND COMPLETED SEVERAL EMER GEAR DOWN PROCS. WE WERE STILL UNABLE TO OBTAIN A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. WE THEN CONTACTED THE LCL UNICOM OPERATOR, AND HE, ALONG WITH 2 OF THEIR A AND P MECHS, OBSERVED AS WE MADE SEVERAL LOW APCHS DOWN THE RWY. THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS COMING DOWN BUT NOT LOCKING AND, IN ADDITION, ON THE FINAL LOW APCH THEY WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ALSO TURNED ABOUT 15 DEGS OFF CTR. AT THIS TIME, I MADE THE DECISION THAT WE WOULD LAND AT THE LAPEER ARPT AS OPPOSED TO RETURNING TO OUR DEP ARPT, AND ALSO THAT WE WOULD LAND ON THE PAVED RWY 36 AS OPPOSED TO LNDG ON 1 OF THEIR 2 GRASS RWYS. I ALSO BRIEFED MY INSTRUCTOR APPLICANT ON WHAT DUTIES I WOULD HAVE HER PERFORM (PRIMARILY TURNING OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE) HAD HER PLACE A SEAT CUSHION IN FRONT OF HER. I THEN EXECUTED THE LNDG AND HELD THE NOSE OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. AS THE NOSE SETTLED TO THE RWY, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTION CTL USING THE RUDDER AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY. WE SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL, TURNED OFF THE FUEL VALVE AND DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE. THE MECHS, UPON RAISING THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE, WERE ABLE TO MANUALLY PULL THE NOSE GEAR INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS AND TOW THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP. AS OF THIS WRITING, A DETERMINATION HAS NOT BEEN MADE AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE PROP AND BOTTOM COWL. I DID NOTICE THAT THE EXHAUST STACKS DID NOT TOUCH THE GND AND WERE NOT DAMAGED. THIS WAS A VALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR MY STUDENT, AND WE SPENT OUR LESSON THE NEXT DAY DISCUSSING THE EVENTS OF THE PREVIOUS DAY AND I EXPLAINED ALL THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE AND WHY.

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.