Narrative:

I was riding as a copilot in a BE58 from richmond to baltimore. I was riding on the flight, building time through a special program my company has. The program allows pilots with fewer than 1200 hours (far 135 minimum hours) to gain flight time flying as a copilot. These coplts are not required crew members and are under the supervision of the PIC. On this flight, I was a copilot in this program. The PIC was flying and doing the radios. I did not have jacks to plug my headset in, so I could not communicate with the pilot or ATC. I was basically an observer on this flight. The pilot was performing an ILS approach at night in low WX in the proximity of thunderstorms. The checklists were complete, and the landing gear indicated down and locked. In the flare, the wind picked up and the aircraft hit the runway rather firmly. Next thing we knew, the aircraft was sliding down the runway on its nose, as the nose gear had collapsed. The gear was either not locked down (contrary to the indications) or the hard landing damaged the structural integrity of the nose gear. The landing in my opinion was not severe enough to cause a landing gear failure. The airplane is 25 yrs old, and perhaps metal fatigue has reduced the strength of the landing gear strut on the nose to cause a failure in this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR OF AN ATX CARGO BEECH 58 (BE58) COLLAPSED DURING LNDG ON A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT. RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE LNDG TOUCHDOWN WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY HARD TO CAUSE IT TO COLLAPSE THE NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: I WAS RIDING AS A COPLT IN A BE58 FROM RICHMOND TO BALTIMORE. I WAS RIDING ON THE FLT, BUILDING TIME THROUGH A SPECIAL PROGRAM MY COMPANY HAS. THE PROGRAM ALLOWS PLTS WITH FEWER THAN 1200 HRS (FAR 135 MINIMUM HRS) TO GAIN FLT TIME FLYING AS A COPLT. THESE COPLTS ARE NOT REQUIRED CREW MEMBERS AND ARE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PIC. ON THIS FLT, I WAS A COPLT IN THIS PROGRAM. THE PIC WAS FLYING AND DOING THE RADIOS. I DID NOT HAVE JACKS TO PLUG MY HEADSET IN, SO I COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE PLT OR ATC. I WAS BASICALLY AN OBSERVER ON THIS FLT. THE PLT WAS PERFORMING AN ILS APCH AT NIGHT IN LOW WX IN THE PROX OF TSTMS. THE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE, AND THE LNDG GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED. IN THE FLARE, THE WIND PICKED UP AND THE ACFT HIT THE RWY RATHER FIRMLY. NEXT THING WE KNEW, THE ACFT WAS SLIDING DOWN THE RWY ON ITS NOSE, AS THE NOSE GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. THE GEAR WAS EITHER NOT LOCKED DOWN (CONTRARY TO THE INDICATIONS) OR THE HARD LNDG DAMAGED THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE NOSE GEAR. THE LNDG IN MY OPINION WAS NOT SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A LNDG GEAR FAILURE. THE AIRPLANE IS 25 YRS OLD, AND PERHAPS METAL FATIGUE HAS REDUCED THE STRENGTH OF THE LNDG GEAR STRUT ON THE NOSE TO CAUSE A FAILURE IN THIS SIT.

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.