Narrative:

On approach to vrb, the gear down was selected. When the gear reached the down position, verification of the green indication lights showed that the nose gear light did not illuminate. However, the aircraft is equipped with a mirror located on the left engine cowl for visual reference to the nose gear. Visual reference showed that the nose gear was normally extended. I then decided to recycle the gear to troubleshoot the situation. As the gear down was selected again, the nose gear light again did not illuminate. Again, visual reference to the nose gear mirror showed that the nose gear was normally extended. At this point it was decided to check the operation of the nose gear light bulb. We removed the light bulb and replaced it with a working bulb from the main gear. As the bulb was put into place, the nose gear light came on as verified by the 3 people aboard the aircraft. After again visually checking the nose gear in the mirror, we concluded that the bulb was inoperative. We again visually checked the green lights before landing in which the nose gear light was still illuminated, and again checked the mirror in which all was indicating normal. A normal touchdown was executed. We landed softly on the main wheels first. The controllers in the tower verified a normal landing. As the nose of the aircraft was lowered, when the nosewheel touched the ground it folded backwards toward the retract position and the nose cone contacted the runway. Both propellers struck the runway and were damaged. The airplane skidded to a stop down the centerline of the runway, then the emergency procedures were executed and we evacuate/evacuationed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the nose gear down lock mechanism was found to be malfunctioning. The reporter said the FAA inspected the airplane and did not classify it as an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA23 ON LNDG HAD THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT CAUSED BY A FAILED NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK MECHANISM.

Narrative: ON APCH TO VRB, THE GEAR DOWN WAS SELECTED. WHEN THE GEAR REACHED THE DOWN POS, VERIFICATION OF THE GREEN INDICATION LIGHTS SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. HOWEVER, THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A MIRROR LOCATED ON THE L ENG COWL FOR VISUAL REF TO THE NOSE GEAR. VISUAL REF SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NORMALLY EXTENDED. I THEN DECIDED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR TO TROUBLESHOOT THE SIT. AS THE GEAR DOWN WAS SELECTED AGAIN, THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT AGAIN DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AGAIN, VISUAL REF TO THE NOSE GEAR MIRROR SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NORMALLY EXTENDED. AT THIS POINT IT WAS DECIDED TO CHK THE OP OF THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT BULB. WE REMOVED THE LIGHT BULB AND REPLACED IT WITH A WORKING BULB FROM THE MAIN GEAR. AS THE BULB WAS PUT INTO PLACE, THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT CAME ON AS VERIFIED BY THE 3 PEOPLE ABOARD THE ACFT. AFTER AGAIN VISUALLY CHKING THE NOSE GEAR IN THE MIRROR, WE CONCLUDED THAT THE BULB WAS INOP. WE AGAIN VISUALLY CHKED THE GREEN LIGHTS BEFORE LNDG IN WHICH THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED, AND AGAIN CHKED THE MIRROR IN WHICH ALL WAS INDICATING NORMAL. A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN WAS EXECUTED. WE LANDED SOFTLY ON THE MAIN WHEELS FIRST. THE CTLRS IN THE TWR VERIFIED A NORMAL LNDG. AS THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS LOWERED, WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED THE GND IT FOLDED BACKWARDS TOWARD THE RETRACT POS AND THE NOSE CONE CONTACTED THE RWY. BOTH PROPS STRUCK THE RWY AND WERE DAMAGED. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP DOWN THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY, THEN THE EMER PROCS WERE EXECUTED AND WE EVACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK MECHANISM WAS FOUND TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND DID NOT CLASSIFY IT AS AN ACCIDENT.

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.