Narrative:

Upon entering the traffic pattern, the gear was lowered with green lights on the left and right gear and no green on the nosegear. I notified the tower I was not getting a green light on the nosegear. I swapped the nosegear indicator bulb with the right gear bulb to see if it was a burned out bulb. This did not correct the problem. I informed the tower that I was not getting a positive indication on my nose gear and asked for permission for a fly-by. The tower confirmed that I had no nose gear, but that the gear doors were open. I then informed the tower that I would try stalls and other maneuvers with the hope that I could shake the nose gear down. After several attempts to shake the nosegear down the tower confirmed that there was still no nosegear extension. I broke out of the pattern to ascertain the best option and procedure. I asked the tower for permission to land on runway 34. The emergency equipment was placed at the point where I expected to touch down. A normal landing on the main gear was executed and when the airplane was firmly on the runway and the nosegear held up, I attempted to kill the engines with the mixture control. This was not successfully executed and the nose fell over when control was lost. This resulted in propeller strikes on both propellers and a minimum of nose damage to the airplane. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane over the wing with no injuries. The aircraft was then removed from runway 34 with no further damage. The tower controller and the emergency response people were extremely helpful and executed in a very professional manner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a BE76 duchess. The nosegear hydraulic actuator failed. The nosegear could not free fall as there apparently was fluid on both sides of the strut locking it in position. This same report has been sent to the FAA. The reporter is aware of another duchess nosegear problem in may 97 in miami. He is now aware of the FAA safety hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE76 PLT RPTS THAT HE HAD TO LAND WITH HIS NOSEGEAR IN THE UP POS.

Narrative: UPON ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN, THE GEAR WAS LOWERED WITH GREEN LIGHTS ON THE L AND R GEAR AND NO GREEN ON THE NOSEGEAR. I NOTIFIED THE TWR I WAS NOT GETTING A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSEGEAR. I SWAPPED THE NOSEGEAR INDICATOR BULB WITH THE R GEAR BULB TO SEE IF IT WAS A BURNED OUT BULB. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROB. I INFORMED THE TWR THAT I WAS NOT GETTING A POSITIVE INDICATION ON MY NOSE GEAR AND ASKED FOR PERMISSION FOR A FLY-BY. THE TWR CONFIRMED THAT I HAD NO NOSE GEAR, BUT THAT THE GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN. I THEN INFORMED THE TWR THAT I WOULD TRY STALLS AND OTHER MANEUVERS WITH THE HOPE THAT I COULD SHAKE THE NOSE GEAR DOWN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO SHAKE THE NOSEGEAR DOWN THE TWR CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS STILL NO NOSEGEAR EXTENSION. I BROKE OUT OF THE PATTERN TO ASCERTAIN THE BEST OPTION AND PROC. I ASKED THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO LAND ON RWY 34. THE EMER EQUIP WAS PLACED AT THE POINT WHERE I EXPECTED TO TOUCH DOWN. A NORMAL LNDG ON THE MAIN GEAR WAS EXECUTED AND WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS FIRMLY ON THE RWY AND THE NOSEGEAR HELD UP, I ATTEMPTED TO KILL THE ENGS WITH THE MIXTURE CTL. THIS WAS NOT SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED AND THE NOSE FELL OVER WHEN CTL WAS LOST. THIS RESULTED IN PROP STRIKES ON BOTH PROPS AND A MINIMUM OF NOSE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PLT AND PAX WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE OVER THE WING WITH NO INJURIES. THE ACFT WAS THEN REMOVED FROM RWY 34 WITH NO FURTHER DAMAGE. THE TWR CTLR AND THE EMER RESPONSE PEOPLE WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND EXECUTED IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A BE76 DUCHESS. THE NOSEGEAR HYD ACTUATOR FAILED. THE NOSEGEAR COULD NOT FREE FALL AS THERE APPARENTLY WAS FLUID ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STRUT LOCKING IT IN POS. THIS SAME RPT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE FAA. THE RPTR IS AWARE OF ANOTHER DUCHESS NOSEGEAR PROB IN MAY 97 IN MIAMI. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.