Narrative:

On approach to spirit of st. Louis airport, about XA30 pm on feb/fri/94, the nose gear down and locked light did not come on. Cycling the gear, back-up system, and emergency checklist did not improve or clear the problem. A fly-by of the tower confirmed that, in fact, the gear had not come down. The tower reported that gear doors were barely open and nosewheel/tire was only partially visible beneath the aircraft. I ran through the complete series of back-up/emergency maneuvers a second and third time. Each series was followed by a fly-by of the tower -- no change. I decided to ask for the emergency equipment to be deployed while I ran through a fourth series to lower the gear. Since I was unable to clear the problem I proceeded with a soft field landing without nose gear. The landing was very smooth and controled throughout. I had good rudder control while sliding on the nose. The aircraft slide 400-500 ft but damage was very minimal. Got great help from tower and emergency crews. Problem was caused by a defroster hose nipple breaking off of the muffler shroud. This created an 18 inch loose hose with a 1 inch metal nipple on the end which got entangled in the gear mechanism. It was as if the gear was tied in the up position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter called back after initial call and gave the type aircraft as a PA-28R-201 aeronautical 3 non turbo engined. Reporter had owned aircraft from 1986 with partners and then sold it to a single party and was flying it on lease term so was very familiar with the aircraft and any modifications that might have been issued on it. Engine had been overhauled some 400-500 ago. The 12-18 length of hose that tied the gear up looked fairly new and was suspected to be the one installed with the overhaul. It was not known who or what facility did the overhaul although the hose was tied to the firewall and inside of the engine in a proper fashion. Reporter feels that there could have been something that affected the integrity of the subject nipple that eventually caused its failure. This may have happened during the facility overhaul of the engine. Reporter suggests closer ties to the nipple so that only about 2-3 inches of hose could come lose if another nipple failure does occur. In his wildest stretch of imagination the reporter could not have envisioned this scenario occurring at all. 2 maintenance personnel tried to pull the gear down after the FAA gave the ok to do so and could not. The hose had to be cut from inside the cowling after the aircraft's nose had been raised and blocked up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND AFTER 4 ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THROUGH CHKLIST USE. EMER DECLARED AND EMER NOSE GEAR UP LNDG PERFORMED. ACFT DAMAGED, SLIGHTLY.

Narrative: ON APCH TO SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS ARPT, ABOUT XA30 PM ON FEB/FRI/94, THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. CYCLING THE GEAR, BACK-UP SYS, AND EMER CHKLIST DID NOT IMPROVE OR CLR THE PROB. A FLY-BY OF THE TWR CONFIRMED THAT, IN FACT, THE GEAR HAD NOT COME DOWN. THE TWR RPTED THAT GEAR DOORS WERE BARELY OPEN AND NOSEWHEEL/TIRE WAS ONLY PARTIALLY VISIBLE BENEATH THE ACFT. I RAN THROUGH THE COMPLETE SERIES OF BACK-UP/EMER MANEUVERS A SECOND AND THIRD TIME. EACH SERIES WAS FOLLOWED BY A FLY-BY OF THE TWR -- NO CHANGE. I DECIDED TO ASK FOR THE EMER EQUIP TO BE DEPLOYED WHILE I RAN THROUGH A FOURTH SERIES TO LOWER THE GEAR. SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO CLR THE PROB I PROCEEDED WITH A SOFT FIELD LNDG WITHOUT NOSE GEAR. THE LNDG WAS VERY SMOOTH AND CTLED THROUGHOUT. I HAD GOOD RUDDER CTL WHILE SLIDING ON THE NOSE. THE ACFT SLIDE 400-500 FT BUT DAMAGE WAS VERY MINIMAL. GOT GREAT HELP FROM TWR AND EMER CREWS. PROB WAS CAUSED BY A DEFROSTER HOSE NIPPLE BREAKING OFF OF THE MUFFLER SHROUD. THIS CREATED AN 18 INCH LOOSE HOSE WITH A 1 INCH METAL NIPPLE ON THE END WHICH GOT ENTANGLED IN THE GEAR MECHANISM. IT WAS AS IF THE GEAR WAS TIED IN THE UP POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CALLED BACK AFTER INITIAL CALL AND GAVE THE TYPE ACFT AS A PA-28R-201 AERO 3 NON TURBO ENGINED. RPTR HAD OWNED ACFT FROM 1986 WITH PARTNERS AND THEN SOLD IT TO A SINGLE PARTY AND WAS FLYING IT ON LEASE TERM SO WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT AND ANY MODIFICATIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON IT. ENG HAD BEEN OVERHAULED SOME 400-500 AGO. THE 12-18 LENGTH OF HOSE THAT TIED THE GEAR UP LOOKED FAIRLY NEW AND WAS SUSPECTED TO BE THE ONE INSTALLED WITH THE OVERHAUL. IT WAS NOT KNOWN WHO OR WHAT FACILITY DID THE OVERHAUL ALTHOUGH THE HOSE WAS TIED TO THE FIREWALL AND INSIDE OF THE ENG IN A PROPER FASHION. RPTR FEELS THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT AFFECTED THE INTEGRITY OF THE SUBJECT NIPPLE THAT EVENTUALLY CAUSED ITS FAILURE. THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED DURING THE FACILITY OVERHAUL OF THE ENG. RPTR SUGGESTS CLOSER TIES TO THE NIPPLE SO THAT ONLY ABOUT 2-3 INCHES OF HOSE COULD COME LOSE IF ANOTHER NIPPLE FAILURE DOES OCCUR. IN HIS WILDEST STRETCH OF IMAGINATION THE RPTR COULD NOT HAVE ENVISIONED THIS SCENARIO OCCURRING AT ALL. 2 MAINT PERSONNEL TRIED TO PULL THE GEAR DOWN AFTER THE FAA GAVE THE OK TO DO SO AND COULD NOT. THE HOSE HAD TO BE CUT FROM INSIDE THE COWLING AFTER THE ACFT'S NOSE HAD BEEN RAISED AND BLOCKED UP.

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.