Narrative:

Flight took place in a cessna 441 which consisted of a crew of 2 pilots. The flight concluded when the aircraft came to a stop on its nose because the nose gear failed. When I arrived at work, I found that my aircraft was sitting outside in the minus 15 degree temperature. It is my recollection that the aircraft was out in this kind of WX all night. Before starting the aircraft, a complete normal preflight inspection was made and preheating the engines was performed and also the cabin was preheated. All of the cockpit controls and cables were free and correct. Before departure I made sure along with the crew that the aircraft was deiced, warmed up and ready for flight. After takeoff and retracting the landing gear there was still a nose gear light on. All other gear lights were extinguished. I cycled the gear a few more times but the nose light still remained on. Realizing it was bitter cold, I left the taxi light on in believing would warm whatever switch that could be sticking. I also believed the hydraulic fluid would warm up more thereby rectify the situation. It was them that my first officer mentioned that this had happened on previous flts with other capts that he had worked with in the past. I had flown the same aircraft the week before on 3 consecutive days, and did not have any problems. The flight to beh was only 25 mins, and, if we still had a problem, I intended to turn back to lan. At this point, I asked my first officer to radio to operations and let them know about our situation. He did so! The message was acknowledged and that was the last we heard from the company. Upon being cleared for an approach we started our before landing checklist and landing checklist. At the GS intersect I put the gear in the down position, leaving the taxi light on I could see the reflection of the nose gear coming out of the well. The gear unlocked light was out and the gear indicators showed 3 green lights indicating that the gear was down and locked. I yawed the aircraft while on final with the rudder as a safety precaution. The gear unsafe horn was silent. At this point, I was sure it was safe to land. A normal landing was made until the nose touched. Then, a split second later, I noticed sparks from the right propeller and realized at this point the nose gear failed. I immediately pulled the power back and killed the engines. The crew went through the emergency shutdown procedures and exited the aircraft unharmed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT AIR TAXI HAS NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE ON LNDG.

Narrative: FLT TOOK PLACE IN A CESSNA 441 WHICH CONSISTED OF A CREW OF 2 PLTS. THE FLT CONCLUDED WHEN THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON ITS NOSE BECAUSE THE NOSE GEAR FAILED. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK, I FOUND THAT MY ACFT WAS SITTING OUTSIDE IN THE MINUS 15 DEG TEMP. IT IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT THE ACFT WAS OUT IN THIS KIND OF WX ALL NIGHT. BEFORE STARTING THE ACFT, A COMPLETE NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION WAS MADE AND PREHEATING THE ENGS WAS PERFORMED AND ALSO THE CABIN WAS PREHEATED. ALL OF THE COCKPIT CTLS AND CABLES WERE FREE AND CORRECT. BEFORE DEP I MADE SURE ALONG WITH THE CREW THAT THE ACFT WAS DEICED, WARMED UP AND READY FOR FLT. AFTER TKOF AND RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR THERE WAS STILL A NOSE GEAR LIGHT ON. ALL OTHER GEAR LIGHTS WERE EXTINGUISHED. I CYCLED THE GEAR A FEW MORE TIMES BUT THE NOSE LIGHT STILL REMAINED ON. REALIZING IT WAS BITTER COLD, I LEFT THE TAXI LIGHT ON IN BELIEVING WOULD WARM WHATEVER SWITCH THAT COULD BE STICKING. I ALSO BELIEVED THE HYD FLUID WOULD WARM UP MORE THEREBY RECTIFY THE SIT. IT WAS THEM THAT MY FO MENTIONED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED ON PREVIOUS FLTS WITH OTHER CAPTS THAT HE HAD WORKED WITH IN THE PAST. I HAD FLOWN THE SAME ACFT THE WK BEFORE ON 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBS. THE FLT TO BEH WAS ONLY 25 MINS, AND, IF WE STILL HAD A PROB, I INTENDED TO TURN BACK TO LAN. AT THIS POINT, I ASKED MY FO TO RADIO TO OPS AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT OUR SIT. HE DID SO! THE MESSAGE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND THAT WAS THE LAST WE HEARD FROM THE COMPANY. UPON BEING CLRED FOR AN APCH WE STARTED OUR BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND LNDG CHKLIST. AT THE GS INTERSECT I PUT THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POS, LEAVING THE TAXI LIGHT ON I COULD SEE THE REFLECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR COMING OUT OF THE WELL. THE GEAR UNLOCKED LIGHT WAS OUT AND THE GEAR INDICATORS SHOWED 3 GREEN LIGHTS INDICATING THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. I YAWED THE ACFT WHILE ON FINAL WITH THE RUDDER AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. THE GEAR UNSAFE HORN WAS SILENT. AT THIS POINT, I WAS SURE IT WAS SAFE TO LAND. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE UNTIL THE NOSE TOUCHED. THEN, A SPLIT SECOND LATER, I NOTICED SPARKS FROM THE R PROP AND REALIZED AT THIS POINT THE NOSE GEAR FAILED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE PWR BACK AND KILLED THE ENGS. THE CREW WENT THROUGH THE EMER SHUTDOWN PROCS AND EXITED THE ACFT UNHARMED.

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.