Hard landing causes loss of strut.

Attributes
ACN	289786
Time
Date	199411
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dik
State Reference	ND
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 680 flight time type : 99
ASRS Report	289786
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

En route from ctb to bis about 50 mi southeast of isn, I started picking up ice. I changed altitude, still getting ice, asked for current WX at bis 900 thin obscured, 2 1/2 mi and snow. At that point, I decided to go to alternate (dik). Asked for WX there -- said 1300 overcast, 8 mi visibility. At that point went direct to dik. About 25 mi north, center advised me of a special report taken at dik -- 1300 overcast, 2 1/2 mi visibility and freezing drizzle. I continued, shot the VOR alpha into dik. Ice had accumulated on the windshield so I had no forward visibility. I landed by looking out the side window. It threw my perception off and made a hard landing. When I received my WX briefing, FSS told me it was marginal VFR along my route and bis was expecting 3000 overcast, 8 mi until scpm local time. The incident occurred at XA10. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a piper seminole. He knocked off one of the landing gear struts (probably the nose) in the hard landing. The NTSB may have called this an accident. The reporter was reluctant to talk about this incident. He promised to call back and has not done so for 3 days.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HARD LNDG CAUSES LOSS OF STRUT.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM CTB TO BIS ABOUT 50 MI SE OF ISN, I STARTED PICKING UP ICE. I CHANGED ALT, STILL GETTING ICE, ASKED FOR CURRENT WX AT BIS 900 THIN OBSCURED, 2 1/2 MI AND SNOW. AT THAT POINT, I DECIDED TO GO TO ALTERNATE (DIK). ASKED FOR WX THERE -- SAID 1300 OVCST, 8 MI VISIBILITY. AT THAT POINT WENT DIRECT TO DIK. ABOUT 25 MI N, CTR ADVISED ME OF A SPECIAL RPT TAKEN AT DIK -- 1300 OVCST, 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY AND FREEZING DRIZZLE. I CONTINUED, SHOT THE VOR ALPHA INTO DIK. ICE HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE WINDSHIELD SO I HAD NO FORWARD VISIBILITY. I LANDED BY LOOKING OUT THE SIDE WINDOW. IT THREW MY PERCEPTION OFF AND MADE A HARD LNDG. WHEN I RECEIVED MY WX BRIEFING, FSS TOLD ME IT WAS MARGINAL VFR ALONG MY RTE AND BIS WAS EXPECTING 3000 OVCST, 8 MI UNTIL SCPM LCL TIME. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT XA10. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A PIPER SEMINOLE. HE KNOCKED OFF ONE OF THE LNDG GEAR STRUTS (PROBABLY THE NOSE) IN THE HARD LNDG. THE NTSB MAY HAVE CALLED THIS AN ACCIDENT. THE RPTR WAS RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. HE PROMISED TO CALL BACK AND HAS NOT DONE SO FOR 3 DAYS.

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.