Narrative:

Nose gear up landing. After several hours of practicing some commercial maneuvers, I began a descent back to hanscom AFB, (bed) bedford, ma. I was at 4000 ft the northwest. I decided to drop the gear initially inside the safety gear extension speed to create drag to lose some altitude. I noticed that the nosewheel down and locked light would not illuminate. I took the bulb from the right down and locked light, plugged it into the top socket to check for a malfunction in the bulb itself. When I realized that it was possible that the nose gear may have a problem, I attempted several recycles of the gear to attempt to drop it. Unsuccessfully, I attempted the emergency gear extension valve and full procedures. Again unsuccessful, I alerted bos approach, who then turned us over to hanscom tower, who I also alerted. They requested a tower fly-by. As I flew past the tower, they informed me that the nosewheel was back at a 70 degree angle. I circled outside of the traffic area and switched to bos approach. I advised bos that I was going to try maneuvering. I tried yawing and 2 steep descending turns under va. After all checklists were complete, I briefed myself once again for a gear up landing with the main gear down and locked. I turned final for runway 29 at about 1000 ft AGL. I opened the door and prepared for an immediate evacuate/evacuation for me and my passenger. I planned to pull the mixture at approximately 30 ft off the ground to cut the engine, which I did to possibly reduce damage to the aircraft. I put the fuel selector valve to the 'off' position and turned the master and alternator switch off. I proceeded with a soft field landing and held the nose off the ground as long as possible. The nose inevitably hit the ground, the windmilling propeller immediately stopped turning. The aircraft came to a standstill and we safely evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft. After the initial investigation by the FAA, it appeared that the cause of the malfunction in the nose gear was due to a missing cotter pin in the locking mechanism, which allows for the bolt to back out of position. Based on the findings at the FBO, it was stated to me by the manager and mechanic that the cotter pin had sheared (pieces still remained in bolt) causing the mechanical failure of the nose landing gear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PIPER ARROW PLT LANDS AT BED WITH NOSE GEAR NOT DOWN.

Narrative: NOSE GEAR UP LNDG. AFTER SEVERAL HRS OF PRACTICING SOME COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS, I BEGAN A DSCNT BACK TO HANSCOM AFB, (BED) BEDFORD, MA. I WAS AT 4000 FT THE NW. I DECIDED TO DROP THE GEAR INITIALLY INSIDE THE SAFETY GEAR EXTENSION SPD TO CREATE DRAG TO LOSE SOME ALT. I NOTICED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. I TOOK THE BULB FROM THE R DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT, PLUGGED IT INTO THE TOP SOCKET TO CHK FOR A MALFUNCTION IN THE BULB ITSELF. WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE NOSE GEAR MAY HAVE A PROB, I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL RECYCLES OF THE GEAR TO ATTEMPT TO DROP IT. UNSUCCESSFULLY, I ATTEMPTED THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION VALVE AND FULL PROCS. AGAIN UNSUCCESSFUL, I ALERTED BOS APCH, WHO THEN TURNED US OVER TO HANSCOM TWR, WHO I ALSO ALERTED. THEY REQUESTED A TWR FLY-BY. AS I FLEW PAST THE TWR, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS BACK AT A 70 DEG ANGLE. I CIRCLED OUTSIDE OF THE TFC AREA AND SWITCHED TO BOS APCH. I ADVISED BOS THAT I WAS GOING TO TRY MANEUVERING. I TRIED YAWING AND 2 STEEP DSNDING TURNS UNDER VA. AFTER ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE, I BRIEFED MYSELF ONCE AGAIN FOR A GEAR UP LNDG WITH THE MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. I TURNED FINAL FOR RWY 29 AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. I OPENED THE DOOR AND PREPARED FOR AN IMMEDIATE EVAC FOR ME AND MY PAX. I PLANNED TO PULL THE MIXTURE AT APPROX 30 FT OFF THE GND TO CUT THE ENG, WHICH I DID TO POSSIBLY REDUCE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I PUT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE 'OFF' POS AND TURNED THE MASTER AND ALTERNATOR SWITCH OFF. I PROCEEDED WITH A SOFT FIELD LNDG AND HELD THE NOSE OFF THE GND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. THE NOSE INEVITABLY HIT THE GND, THE WINDMILLING PROP IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TURNING. THE ACFT CAME TO A STANDSTILL AND WE SAFELY EVACED THE ACFT. AFTER THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA, IT APPEARED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION IN THE NOSE GEAR WAS DUE TO A MISSING COTTER PIN IN THE LOCKING MECHANISM, WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE BOLT TO BACK OUT OF POS. BASED ON THE FINDINGS AT THE FBO, IT WAS STATED TO ME BY THE MGR AND MECH THAT THE COTTER PIN HAD SHEARED (PIECES STILL REMAINED IN BOLT) CAUSING THE MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR.

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.