A PA34-220T on final approach at 50 ft encountered windshear downdraft. Aircraft touched down before...

Attributes
ACN	374525
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n30
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sea
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-34-220T Turbo Seneca III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	374525
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	observation : passenger other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On jul/xx/97, myself and another company employee were dispatched on a part 91 flight to honesdale, PA, cherry ridge airport (N30). At about XA15 local time, we approached cherry ridge airport. The wilkes-barre altimeter setting was 29.94, the sky was clear and the wind was from 340 degrees at 12 KTS. We overflew the field above traffic pattern altitude and we visually determined that the northwest oriented runway was suitable for our landing. We performed all the necessary communications and we concluded that there was no other traffic observed on the airport, traffic pattern or approaching. On the downwind leg we performed our landing checklist including landing gear extension, verified by the 3 green lights as well as visually on the mirror provided for such purpose. As we turned on the final leg we accomplished the final check which included mixtures and propellers full forward and landing gear down and locked verification, confirmed by 3 green lights and an outside visual indication. Since the approach to cherry ridge airport dictates a short field landing procedure, we established the appropriate confign and flew the approach profile: 87 KIAS with 40 degrees of flaps and approximately 600-700 FPM descent. As we passed the tree line and about 50 ft above the runway, we encountered windshear/downdraft and even though additional power was applied attempting to recover, it caused the aircraft to touch down before the displaced threshold. After a smooth touchdown on both main and nosewheels and during the landing rollout, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded on the runway surface. We were able to keep the aircraft on the runway centerline and the aircraft came to a complete stop within 500 ft after touchdown. We immediately secured the aircraft and since there were no injuries, we evacuate/evacuationed and proceeded to assess the damage. There were no fuel or oil leaks and the only visible damages were the propeller blade tips and the undersurface of the nose around the nose gear doors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34-220T ON FINAL APCH AT 50 FT ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR DOWNDRAFT. ACFT TOUCHED DOWN BEFORE THE RWY THRESHOLD AND ON ROLLOUT THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/97, MYSELF AND ANOTHER COMPANY EMPLOYEE WERE DISPATCHED ON A PART 91 FLT TO HONESDALE, PA, CHERRY RIDGE ARPT (N30). AT ABOUT XA15 LCL TIME, WE APCHED CHERRY RIDGE ARPT. THE WILKES-BARRE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 29.94, THE SKY WAS CLR AND THE WIND WAS FROM 340 DEGS AT 12 KTS. WE OVERFLEW THE FIELD ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT AND WE VISUALLY DETERMINED THAT THE NW ORIENTED RWY WAS SUITABLE FOR OUR LNDG. WE PERFORMED ALL THE NECESSARY COMS AND WE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC OBSERVED ON THE ARPT, TFC PATTERN OR APCHING. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG WE PERFORMED OUR LNDG CHKLIST INCLUDING LNDG GEAR EXTENSION, VERIFIED BY THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS AS WELL AS VISUALLY ON THE MIRROR PROVIDED FOR SUCH PURPOSE. AS WE TURNED ON THE FINAL LEG WE ACCOMPLISHED THE FINAL CHK WHICH INCLUDED MIXTURES AND PROPS FULL FORWARD AND LNDG GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED VERIFICATION, CONFIRMED BY 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND AN OUTSIDE VISUAL INDICATION. SINCE THE APCH TO CHERRY RIDGE ARPT DICTATES A SHORT FIELD LNDG PROC, WE ESTABLISHED THE APPROPRIATE CONFIGN AND FLEW THE APCH PROFILE: 87 KIAS WITH 40 DEGS OF FLAPS AND APPROX 600-700 FPM DSCNT. AS WE PASSED THE TREE LINE AND ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE THE RWY, WE ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR/DOWNDRAFT AND EVEN THOUGH ADDITIONAL PWR WAS APPLIED ATTEMPTING TO RECOVER, IT CAUSED THE ACFT TO TOUCH DOWN BEFORE THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. AFTER A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN ON BOTH MAIN AND NOSEWHEELS AND DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT SKIDDED ON THE RWY SURFACE. WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY CTRLINE AND THE ACFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHIN 500 FT AFTER TOUCHDOWN. WE IMMEDIATELY SECURED THE ACFT AND SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES, WE EVACED AND PROCEEDED TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO FUEL OR OIL LEAKS AND THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGES WERE THE PROP BLADE TIPS AND THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE NOSE AROUND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS.

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.

A PA34-220T on final approach at 50 ft encountered windshear downdraft. Aircraft touched down before the runway threshold and on rollout the nose gear collapsed.