Narrative:

Prior to the operation of the aircraft, the mechanical condition of the aircraft became the topic of conversation with the owner of the aircraft. He had problems with the gear extending on a previous flight and had described the procedure he used to free the nosewheel. Maintenance had found a pinched hydraulic line and apparently incorrectly concluded that the problem was solved. I had been in the left seat during the takeoff, climb, and for about 5 mins of airwork. Control of the aircraft was transferred to the pilot in the right seat so he could practice from the right seat. This training was for a part 135 chkride. The last chkride was in opposite seats. The pilot in the right seat was reviewing procedures for a landing when the nose gear failed to extend. We contacted the mechanic by radio. The other pilot has similar total time but has more than a thousand more hours in single-engine aircraft than I. He also has more time in type. He acted as PIC while I became a passenger and moved to the rear seat. I also outweigh him by 50 pounds which helped move the center of gravity aft. During our radio conversation with another mechanic, the emergency equipment was notified. While he left the traffic pattern to try extending the gear, another aircraft had a nosegear collapse, and the equipment responded. Use of the runway was restr to us. The other aircraft was clear of the runway. Another mechanic who had been listening on the radio and was at the scene was quick to point out how easily the gear extended when someone banged it. His preliminary guess was that ice was the cause. It appears to me that these mechanics are predisposed to look for a cause, fix it, then release the aircraft without looking for other possible problems until the aircraft comes back. This is a direct result of saving time and money.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR WOULDN'T EXTEND AND A NOSE GEAR UP LNDG FOLLOWED. UNABLE TO CONTACT RPTR AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS, SO CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. RPT SAYS MECH SUSPECTED ICE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE OP OF THE ACFT, THE MECHANICAL CONDITION OF THE ACFT BECAME THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WITH THE OWNER OF THE ACFT. HE HAD PROBS WITH THE GEAR EXTENDING ON A PREVIOUS FLT AND HAD DESCRIBED THE PROC HE USED TO FREE THE NOSEWHEEL. MAINT HAD FOUND A PINCHED HYD LINE AND APPARENTLY INCORRECTLY CONCLUDED THAT THE PROB WAS SOLVED. I HAD BEEN IN THE L SEAT DURING THE TKOF, CLB, AND FOR ABOUT 5 MINS OF AIRWORK. CTL OF THE ACFT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE PLT IN THE R SEAT SO HE COULD PRACTICE FROM THE R SEAT. THIS TRAINING WAS FOR A PART 135 CHKRIDE. THE LAST CHKRIDE WAS IN OPPOSITE SEATS. THE PLT IN THE R SEAT WAS REVIEWING PROCS FOR A LNDG WHEN THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. WE CONTACTED THE MECH BY RADIO. THE OTHER PLT HAS SIMILAR TOTAL TIME BUT HAS MORE THAN A THOUSAND MORE HRS IN SINGLE-ENG ACFT THAN I. HE ALSO HAS MORE TIME IN TYPE. HE ACTED AS PIC WHILE I BECAME A PAX AND MOVED TO THE REAR SEAT. I ALSO OUTWEIGH HIM BY 50 LBS WHICH HELPED MOVE THE CTR OF GRAVITY AFT. DURING OUR RADIO CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER MECH, THE EMER EQUIP WAS NOTIFIED. WHILE HE LEFT THE TFC PATTERN TO TRY EXTENDING THE GEAR, ANOTHER ACFT HAD A NOSEGEAR COLLAPSE, AND THE EQUIP RESPONDED. USE OF THE RWY WAS RESTR TO US. THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLR OF THE RWY. ANOTHER MECH WHO HAD BEEN LISTENING ON THE RADIO AND WAS AT THE SCENE WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT HOW EASILY THE GEAR EXTENDED WHEN SOMEONE BANGED IT. HIS PRELIMINARY GUESS WAS THAT ICE WAS THE CAUSE. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THESE MECHS ARE PREDISPOSED TO LOOK FOR A CAUSE, FIX IT, THEN RELEASE THE ACFT WITHOUT LOOKING FOR OTHER POSSIBLE PROBS UNTIL THE ACFT COMES BACK. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SAVING TIME AND MONEY.

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.