Narrative:

Aircraft: piper archer. Student and I had just finished a lesson on stalls and were heading back to centennial airport. We had been in the air for approximately 1.2 hours. Tower told us to report 2 mi southeast and we set up for a left downwind for runway 17L. The downwind was fairly wide but we turned onto final just over arapahoe rd. The VASI GS was red over white. After making position identify that I was on GS, my attention turned away from the VASI for the rest of the landing. Student was executing the landing with full flaps at 40 degrees and 70 KIAS. We both noticed that we were slightly low so student added a little power. At approximately 300 ft from the edge of the runway, I realized that there was a potential problem of landing short of the runway. I took over immediately, added power and applied back pressure. However, the inertial forces of the descent were there, the aircraft was in the dirty confign, and the descent could not be completely stopped. We touched down very smoothly 30 ft from the runway edge. This was noted by the tracks left in the dirt. The nosewheel touched down 3 ft from the edge of the runway on centerline. Almost instantly I felt a large jolt as the nose gear hit the lip at the edge of the runway. I saw the O ring from the nose strut fly out in front of the aircraft. I applied full back pressure and reduced power to idle. The nose came down and rested safely on the collapsed strut. I taxied to alpha 3 and contacted ground control. Ground control told me to call the tower when I was done tying down. I called tower, identifying myself as cherokee and told them that everything was alright and that it looked like I lost a lot of hydraulic fluid out of the nose strut. Later the next day, maintenance looked at the strut and determined that the strut needed to be rebuilt. There was also a flat spot on the aluminum part of the wheel. No one was hurt. 3 days later, the aircraft was fixed and flying again. To prevent this from happening again, I suggest that all pilots fly on GS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI LANDS 3 FT SHORT OF RWY, DAMAGED NOSE GEAR STRUT.

Narrative: ACFT: PIPER ARCHER. STUDENT AND I HAD JUST FINISHED A LESSON ON STALLS AND WERE HDG BACK TO CENTENNIAL ARPT. WE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR APPROX 1.2 HRS. TWR TOLD US TO RPT 2 MI SE AND WE SET UP FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17L. THE DOWNWIND WAS FAIRLY WIDE BUT WE TURNED ONTO FINAL JUST OVER ARAPAHOE RD. THE VASI GS WAS RED OVER WHITE. AFTER MAKING POS IDENT THAT I WAS ON GS, MY ATTN TURNED AWAY FROM THE VASI FOR THE REST OF THE LNDG. STUDENT WAS EXECUTING THE LNDG WITH FULL FLAPS AT 40 DEGS AND 70 KIAS. WE BOTH NOTICED THAT WE WERE SLIGHTLY LOW SO STUDENT ADDED A LITTLE PWR. AT APPROX 300 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE RWY, I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL PROB OF LNDG SHORT OF THE RWY. I TOOK OVER IMMEDIATELY, ADDED PWR AND APPLIED BACK PRESSURE. HOWEVER, THE INERTIAL FORCES OF THE DSCNT WERE THERE, THE ACFT WAS IN THE DIRTY CONFIGN, AND THE DSCNT COULD NOT BE COMPLETELY STOPPED. WE TOUCHED DOWN VERY SMOOTHLY 30 FT FROM THE RWY EDGE. THIS WAS NOTED BY THE TRACKS LEFT IN THE DIRT. THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN 3 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE RWY ON CTRLINE. ALMOST INSTANTLY I FELT A LARGE JOLT AS THE NOSE GEAR HIT THE LIP AT THE EDGE OF THE RWY. I SAW THE O RING FROM THE NOSE STRUT FLY OUT IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I APPLIED FULL BACK PRESSURE AND REDUCED PWR TO IDLE. THE NOSE CAME DOWN AND RESTED SAFELY ON THE COLLAPSED STRUT. I TAXIED TO ALPHA 3 AND CONTACTED GND CTL. GND CTL TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I WAS DONE TYING DOWN. I CALLED TWR, IDENTIFYING MYSELF AS CHEROKEE AND TOLD THEM THAT EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT AND THAT IT LOOKED LIKE I LOST A LOT OF HYD FLUID OUT OF THE NOSE STRUT. LATER THE NEXT DAY, MAINT LOOKED AT THE STRUT AND DETERMINED THAT THE STRUT NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THERE WAS ALSO A FLAT SPOT ON THE ALUMINUM PART OF THE WHEEL. NO ONE WAS HURT. 3 DAYS LATER, THE ACFT WAS FIXED AND FLYING AGAIN. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I SUGGEST THAT ALL PLTS FLY ON GS.

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.