Narrative:

With a rented plane (C172), I flew a friend of mine, tower en route controled, from vny to sba. We did the VOR runway 25 approach into sba, VMC. The airplane touched down with the main wheels first. Shortly thereafter, the nosewheel touched down softly. The landing was not hard and looked good. At the moment the nosewheel first touched down, I felt a dragging sensation, then a vertical vibration began. I increased the back pressure, and the vibration stopped. I quickly checked the parking brake -- it was all the way off. We lifted off approximately 1 ft above the runway, touched down on the mains again. When the nosewheel came down, the vibrations started again. I pitched up again, harder this time, to gain about 10 ft altitude. At the top of the arc, I added full power and pitched up. As enough runway was available, I let the plane settle down to the ground with a nose high attitude. The main wheels touched, then the nosewheel touched. Again, when the nosewheel touched, drag and vibration started. As the aircraft slowed down, suddenly the vibrations became more violent. I focused my attention on maintaining directional control. I stopped straight ahead. I suspect a defective tire which went flat and an extremely weak oleo strut which may have leaked before. As I was rejecting another flight about 6 weeks earlier in this plane because of 2 fuel leaks and a visible oil spill on the top of the nosewheel fairing, I was asking about the plane's state on apr/xa/98 before my flight. To pilots who rent planes -- those conditions are not detectable during preflight. I recommend every renter to take suspicious and bad feelings about an aircraft's state seriously!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 ACFT LNDG HAD VIBRATIONS WHEN NOSEWHEEL LOWERED TO RWY. RPTR PLT PURPOSELY PITCHED UP OFF THE RWY FOR A SECOND AND THIRD TRY, BUT STILL THE VIBRATION CONTINUED. CAUSE WAS A FLAT NOSE TIRE.

Narrative: WITH A RENTED PLANE (C172), I FLEW A FRIEND OF MINE, TWR ENRTE CTLED, FROM VNY TO SBA. WE DID THE VOR RWY 25 APCH INTO SBA, VMC. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE MAIN WHEELS FIRST. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN SOFTLY. THE LNDG WAS NOT HARD AND LOOKED GOOD. AT THE MOMENT THE NOSEWHEEL FIRST TOUCHED DOWN, I FELT A DRAGGING SENSATION, THEN A VERT VIBRATION BEGAN. I INCREASED THE BACK PRESSURE, AND THE VIBRATION STOPPED. I QUICKLY CHKED THE PARKING BRAKE -- IT WAS ALL THE WAY OFF. WE LIFTED OFF APPROX 1 FT ABOVE THE RWY, TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAINS AGAIN. WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL CAME DOWN, THE VIBRATIONS STARTED AGAIN. I PITCHED UP AGAIN, HARDER THIS TIME, TO GAIN ABOUT 10 FT ALT. AT THE TOP OF THE ARC, I ADDED FULL PWR AND PITCHED UP. AS ENOUGH RWY WAS AVAILABLE, I LET THE PLANE SETTLE DOWN TO THE GND WITH A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE MAIN WHEELS TOUCHED, THEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED. AGAIN, WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED, DRAG AND VIBRATION STARTED. AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN, SUDDENLY THE VIBRATIONS BECAME MORE VIOLENT. I FOCUSED MY ATTN ON MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CTL. I STOPPED STRAIGHT AHEAD. I SUSPECT A DEFECTIVE TIRE WHICH WENT FLAT AND AN EXTREMELY WEAK OLEO STRUT WHICH MAY HAVE LEAKED BEFORE. AS I WAS REJECTING ANOTHER FLT ABOUT 6 WKS EARLIER IN THIS PLANE BECAUSE OF 2 FUEL LEAKS AND A VISIBLE OIL SPILL ON THE TOP OF THE NOSEWHEEL FAIRING, I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE PLANE'S STATE ON APR/XA/98 BEFORE MY FLT. TO PLTS WHO RENT PLANES -- THOSE CONDITIONS ARE NOT DETECTABLE DURING PREFLT. I RECOMMEND EVERY RENTER TO TAKE SUSPICIOUS AND BAD FEELINGS ABOUT AN ACFT'S STATE SERIOUSLY!

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.