Aircraft equipment problem. Nose gear collapsed after landing.

Attributes
ACN	336620
Time
Date	199605
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : huf
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : huf
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 219 flight time type : 12
ASRS Report	336620
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 92 flight time total : 498 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	336281
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While conducting a multi engine training flight, the flight instructor and I were flying the VOR 23 approach into huf airport, in. Upon crossing the final approach fix (VOR), I, under the supervision of the instructor, performed a gump check which included: making sure the gas was on and the undercarriage was down and locked. I verified that the landing gear was down and locked with the 3 illuminated gear lights, no red 'unsafe' light, and a visual verification of the nose gear down by looking in the left nacelle mirror. Then, I put the mixtures to full rich and the propellers to full forward in case a go around would be necessary. Approximately 1 mi from the runway during the descent, I, under the supervision of the instructor, performed another gump check. Again, verifying that the landing gear was down and locked by the indications of 3 illuminated gear lights, no red 'unsafe' light, and visually verifying the nose gear was down by looking in the left nacelle mirror. Upon completing the approach and the suggestion on the instructor, I maneuvered the aircraft for a higher than normal approach to simulate a short field landing. I already had 2 notches of flaps and put in the third notch and slowed to the short field approach speed. Within 1000 ft of the runway threshold, I verified, under supervision of the instructor, that the landing gear was down and locked by the indications of 3 illuminated gear lights, no red 'unsafe' light, and a visual verification of the nose gear down by looking in the left nacelle mirror. With the power reduced for landing, there was no sounding of the landing gear warning horn. Another indication that the landing gear was down and locked. Upon the landing rollout, the nose gear touched down and collapsed. The aircraft's nose immediately pitched down and struck the runway surface leaving no time for recovery. I slowed the aircraft down as the instructor secured the engine controls. While the aircraft slowed to a stop, I shut off the fuel, fuel pumps, engine magnetos, and the electrical equipment. The instructor radioed the tower that we were alright and we disembarked the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A MULTI ENG TRAINING FLT, THE FLT INSTRUCTOR AND I WERE FLYING THE VOR 23 APCH INTO HUF ARPT, IN. UPON XING THE FINAL APCH FIX (VOR), I, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE INSTRUCTOR, PERFORMED A GUMP CHK WHICH INCLUDED: MAKING SURE THE GAS WAS ON AND THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. I VERIFIED THAT THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED WITH THE 3 ILLUMINATED GEAR LIGHTS, NO RED 'UNSAFE' LIGHT, AND A VISUAL VERIFICATION OF THE NOSE GEAR DOWN BY LOOKING IN THE L NACELLE MIRROR. THEN, I PUT THE MIXTURES TO FULL RICH AND THE PROPS TO FULL FORWARD IN CASE A GAR WOULD BE NECESSARY. APPROX 1 MI FROM THE RWY DURING THE DSCNT, I, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE INSTRUCTOR, PERFORMED ANOTHER GUMP CHK. AGAIN, VERIFYING THAT THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED BY THE INDICATIONS OF 3 ILLUMINATED GEAR LIGHTS, NO RED 'UNSAFE' LIGHT, AND VISUALLY VERIFYING THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN BY LOOKING IN THE L NACELLE MIRROR. UPON COMPLETING THE APCH AND THE SUGGESTION ON THE INSTRUCTOR, I MANEUVERED THE ACFT FOR A HIGHER THAN NORMAL APCH TO SIMULATE A SHORT FIELD LNDG. I ALREADY HAD 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS AND PUT IN THE THIRD NOTCH AND SLOWED TO THE SHORT FIELD APCH SPD. WITHIN 1000 FT OF THE RWY THRESHOLD, I VERIFIED, UNDER SUPERVISION OF THE INSTRUCTOR, THAT THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED BY THE INDICATIONS OF 3 ILLUMINATED GEAR LIGHTS, NO RED 'UNSAFE' LIGHT, AND A VISUAL VERIFICATION OF THE NOSE GEAR DOWN BY LOOKING IN THE L NACELLE MIRROR. WITH THE PWR REDUCED FOR LNDG, THERE WAS NO SOUNDING OF THE LNDG GEAR WARNING HORN. ANOTHER INDICATION THAT THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. UPON THE LNDG ROLLOUT, THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN AND COLLAPSED. THE ACFT'S NOSE IMMEDIATELY PITCHED DOWN AND STRUCK THE RWY SURFACE LEAVING NO TIME FOR RECOVERY. I SLOWED THE ACFT DOWN AS THE INSTRUCTOR SECURED THE ENG CTLS. WHILE THE ACFT SLOWED TO A STOP, I SHUT OFF THE FUEL, FUEL PUMPS, ENG MAGNETOS, AND THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP. THE INSTRUCTOR RADIOED THE TWR THAT WE WERE ALRIGHT AND WE DISEMBARKED THE ACFT.

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.