Narrative:

Downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the active runway 33 was entered at approximately 1100 ft altitude and the landing gear extended which slowed airspeed to about 110 KTS. This is an uncontrolled airfield so radio communication is by CTAF and our intentions were broadcast. There were at least 2 other aircraft in the pattern which we had in sight. Left base was entered at about 900 ft and flaps extended for landing. On beginning our turn to final, an aircraft was noted just landing. We had already announced on CTAF 'turning final for complete stop landing runway 33' when suddenly still another aircraft waiting on the ground to depart broadcast that he would roll for takeoff following the preceding aircraft's landing. This caused us to hesitate and delay our descent as we considered doing a go around to avoid any possible conflict on the runway. My copilot, a very experienced aviator, commented that 'we would be ok' and motioned that we needed to lose altitude. Heading down at a somewhat steeper angle of approach for this pilot, even with greatly reduced throttle, airspeed was built up to about 120 KTS. On leveling off and cutting throttle with nose up airspeed reduced to about 90 KTS, admittedly a bit fast for landing although many lndgs at about that speed had been accomplished by me in the past. However, what was neglected to be considered at the time was the increased sensitivity of the elevator when the rear seats are occupied. Therefore, on initiating flare for landing and closing the throttle the nose came up unexpectedly high and with the somewhat high airspeed there was a forceful contact of the main gear to the asphalt runway resulting in pronounced porpoising. On about the third bounce the nosewheel was sheared off resulting in a nose down rollout with engine stoppage from propeller runway strikes. All aboard, thankfully, walked away unscratched. Damage outwardly was confined to the nosewheel and assembly, the propeller and the underside of the cowling-engine compartment. Afterthoughts: in retrospect, I believe the problem began with the brief hesitation to descend on final because of the perceived possible conflict with the aircraft ahead. This led to a somewhat steeper than usual (for this pilot) angle of descent and the resultant increased airspeed which was not sufficiently bled off prior to touchdown. However, this in itself was not the sole contributing factor. Additionally, the increased rearward moment produced by the rear seats being occupied magnified the elevator sensitivity resulting in an exaggerated nose high attitude on flare to touchdown. This, I feel, considerably contributed to the porpoising effect and what transpired. Conclusions: 1) a go around initiated at the first hint of a possible conflict with the aircraft landing and another unexpectedly taking off would have fully eliminated the problem. 2) attempting to land at somewhat fast airspeed, especially with the increased load and rearward center of gravity (though not out of limits), was a misjudgement (I usually fly with the rear seats unoccupied). 3) perhaps applying full throttle and attempting to fly out of the landing once the porpoising began, the situation might have been avoided but, in a split second, the election was made to try to stay on the ground. I shudder to think about flying off without a nosewheel and coming down again to possibly a worse fate. Fortunately, and thankfully, there were no injuries on this occasion. Whether I continue to fly after this episode, which certainly has been a severe mental- emotional strain, is still being contemplated. Advised by many in-the-know aviation-wise individuals that reporting this 'incident' to the FAA was not necessary since there were no injuries and this qualifies as only an 'incident,' one other suggested I inquire of that office, which I did and I'm afraid a hornet's nest may have been stirred up. Time will tell.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 ACFT LNDG, RPTR PLT PORPOISED ON LNDG RESULTING IN LOSS OF ACFT CTL, SHEARING NOSE GEAR AND PROP DAMAGE. NO INJURIES.

Narrative: DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TFC PATTERN FOR THE ACTIVE RWY 33 WAS ENTERED AT APPROX 1100 FT ALT AND THE LNDG GEAR EXTENDED WHICH SLOWED AIRSPD TO ABOUT 110 KTS. THIS IS AN UNCTLED AIRFIELD SO RADIO COM IS BY CTAF AND OUR INTENTIONS WERE BROADCAST. THERE WERE AT LEAST 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN WHICH WE HAD IN SIGHT. L BASE WAS ENTERED AT ABOUT 900 FT AND FLAPS EXTENDED FOR LNDG. ON BEGINNING OUR TURN TO FINAL, AN ACFT WAS NOTED JUST LNDG. WE HAD ALREADY ANNOUNCED ON CTAF 'TURNING FINAL FOR COMPLETE STOP LNDG RWY 33' WHEN SUDDENLY STILL ANOTHER ACFT WAITING ON THE GND TO DEPART BROADCAST THAT HE WOULD ROLL FOR TKOF FOLLOWING THE PRECEDING ACFT'S LNDG. THIS CAUSED US TO HESITATE AND DELAY OUR DSCNT AS WE CONSIDERED DOING A GAR TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE CONFLICT ON THE RWY. MY COPLT, A VERY EXPERIENCED AVIATOR, COMMENTED THAT 'WE WOULD BE OK' AND MOTIONED THAT WE NEEDED TO LOSE ALT. HEADING DOWN AT A SOMEWHAT STEEPER ANGLE OF APCH FOR THIS PLT, EVEN WITH GREATLY REDUCED THROTTLE, AIRSPD WAS BUILT UP TO ABOUT 120 KTS. ON LEVELING OFF AND CUTTING THROTTLE WITH NOSE UP AIRSPD REDUCED TO ABOUT 90 KTS, ADMITTEDLY A BIT FAST FOR LNDG ALTHOUGH MANY LNDGS AT ABOUT THAT SPD HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY ME IN THE PAST. HOWEVER, WHAT WAS NEGLECTED TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE TIME WAS THE INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF THE ELEVATOR WHEN THE REAR SEATS ARE OCCUPIED. THEREFORE, ON INITIATING FLARE FOR LNDG AND CLOSING THE THROTTLE THE NOSE CAME UP UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH AND WITH THE SOMEWHAT HIGH AIRSPD THERE WAS A FORCEFUL CONTACT OF THE MAIN GEAR TO THE ASPHALT RWY RESULTING IN PRONOUNCED PORPOISING. ON ABOUT THE THIRD BOUNCE THE NOSEWHEEL WAS SHEARED OFF RESULTING IN A NOSE DOWN ROLLOUT WITH ENG STOPPAGE FROM PROP RWY STRIKES. ALL ABOARD, THANKFULLY, WALKED AWAY UNSCRATCHED. DAMAGE OUTWARDLY WAS CONFINED TO THE NOSEWHEEL AND ASSEMBLY, THE PROP AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE COWLING-ENG COMPARTMENT. AFTERTHOUGHTS: IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE PROB BEGAN WITH THE BRIEF HESITATION TO DSND ON FINAL BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH THE ACFT AHEAD. THIS LED TO A SOMEWHAT STEEPER THAN USUAL (FOR THIS PLT) ANGLE OF DSCNT AND THE RESULTANT INCREASED AIRSPD WHICH WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY BLED OFF PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER, THIS IN ITSELF WAS NOT THE SOLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE INCREASED REARWARD MOMENT PRODUCED BY THE REAR SEATS BEING OCCUPIED MAGNIFIED THE ELEVATOR SENSITIVITY RESULTING IN AN EXAGGERATED NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE ON FLARE TO TOUCHDOWN. THIS, I FEEL, CONSIDERABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PORPOISING EFFECT AND WHAT TRANSPIRED. CONCLUSIONS: 1) A GAR INITIATED AT THE FIRST HINT OF A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH THE ACFT LNDG AND ANOTHER UNEXPECTEDLY TAKING OFF WOULD HAVE FULLY ELIMINATED THE PROB. 2) ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT SOMEWHAT FAST AIRSPD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INCREASED LOAD AND REARWARD CTR OF GRAVITY (THOUGH NOT OUT OF LIMITS), WAS A MISJUDGEMENT (I USUALLY FLY WITH THE REAR SEATS UNOCCUPIED). 3) PERHAPS APPLYING FULL THROTTLE AND ATTEMPTING TO FLY OUT OF THE LNDG ONCE THE PORPOISING BEGAN, THE SIT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BUT, IN A SPLIT SECOND, THE ELECTION WAS MADE TO TRY TO STAY ON THE GND. I SHUDDER TO THINK ABOUT FLYING OFF WITHOUT A NOSEWHEEL AND COMING DOWN AGAIN TO POSSIBLY A WORSE FATE. FORTUNATELY, AND THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES ON THIS OCCASION. WHETHER I CONTINUE TO FLY AFTER THIS EPISODE, WHICH CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A SEVERE MENTAL- EMOTIONAL STRAIN, IS STILL BEING CONTEMPLATED. ADVISED BY MANY IN-THE-KNOW AVIATION-WISE INDIVIDUALS THAT RPTING THIS 'INCIDENT' TO THE FAA WAS NOT NECESSARY SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THIS QUALIFIES AS ONLY AN 'INCIDENT,' ONE OTHER SUGGESTED I INQUIRE OF THAT OFFICE, WHICH I DID AND I'M AFRAID A HORNET'S NEST MAY HAVE BEEN STIRRED UP. TIME WILL TELL.

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.