Narrative:

Pilot departed pwa on runway 17L. The flight was a part 91 personal flight bound for aus, tx, on an IFR flight plan. The flight was cleared to aus via routing and to climb to 9000 ft. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot noted that the landing gear annunciations indicated that the nose gear was still down and locked, the nose gear light was still green. The pilot attempted to rectify the indication by ensuring that the light was not in 'test' mode but in fact was receiving a positive signal from the gear system. Upon verification that the indicator light appeared to be showing a nose gear still being extended, the pilot asked for and received an amended clearance to pwa, approximately 15-20 NM away. After handoff to pwa tower, the pilot requested a low approach and a visual inspection from the control tower personnel. The tower reported to the pilot that the nose gear appeared to be fully retracted and they could see no indication that the gear or gear doors were open (the report was that they could see a 'smooth belly'). The pilot accepted this report and returned to the flight plan headed for aus. During the climb out from pwa, en route again to aus, the flight was cleared to climb to 9000 ft. Shortly thereafter, the pilot noted that, in addition to the still-illuminated nose gear light, the oil temperature gauge was showing maximum oil temperature (red line) and that oil pressure was just in or at the yellow caution zone. At this point the pilot again requested and received clearance back to pwa for a full-stop landing. Oklahoma approach asked if the pilot intended or wished to declare an emergency, and the pilot responded 'no, there is a needled pegged that needed attention and he just would rather get on the ground to sort it out.' the flight was handed over to pwa tower and was cleared to land. The pilot cycled the gear to determine if all gear were in fact extended and also requested a visual inspection from the tower. Pwa tower reported to the pilot that all 3 gear appeared to be extended and the pilot reported that he was concerned about that, given the false indication when retracted. Due to the high oil temperature indication, the pilot determined that it was safest to land at that time, since a high oil temperature reading could be an early indication of impending engine failure. The pilot landed the flight with as soft a touchdown as possible, at XA10, and then noted, as the nose was lowered, sounds of the propeller striking the runway. The pilot raised the nose to stop the striking and began shutting off the fuel and fuel pump. The pilot reported to the tower that there was a nose gear failure and imminent collapse then carefully lowered the nose to the runway. The remaining rollout was short. The pilot then turned off the aircraft master switch and exited the plane to assist in salvage and recovery.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC11, COMMANDER 114, PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN RETURNED TO LAND AFTER TROUBLE WITH NOSE GEAR RETRACTION AFTER TKOF, AND A MAX OIL TEMP INDICATION. HOWEVER, AFTER A FLY-BY BY THE TWR 2 TIMES TO OBSERVE GEAR POS, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: PLT DEPARTED PWA ON RWY 17L. THE FLT WAS A PART 91 PERSONAL FLT BOUND FOR AUS, TX, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE FLT WAS CLRED TO AUS VIA ROUTING AND TO CLB TO 9000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, THE PLT NOTED THAT THE LNDG GEAR ANNUNCIATIONS INDICATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL DOWN AND LOCKED, THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS STILL GREEN. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO RECTIFY THE INDICATION BY ENSURING THAT THE LIGHT WAS NOT IN 'TEST' MODE BUT IN FACT WAS RECEIVING A POSITIVE SIGNAL FROM THE GEAR SYS. UPON VERIFICATION THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARED TO BE SHOWING A NOSE GEAR STILL BEING EXTENDED, THE PLT ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO PWA, APPROX 15-20 NM AWAY. AFTER HDOF TO PWA TWR, THE PLT REQUESTED A LOW APCH AND A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE CTL TWR PERSONNEL. THE TWR RPTED TO THE PLT THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY RETRACTED AND THEY COULD SEE NO INDICATION THAT THE GEAR OR GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN (THE RPT WAS THAT THEY COULD SEE A 'SMOOTH BELLY'). THE PLT ACCEPTED THIS RPT AND RETURNED TO THE FLT PLAN HEADED FOR AUS. DURING THE CLBOUT FROM PWA, ENRTE AGAIN TO AUS, THE FLT WAS CLRED TO CLB TO 9000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PLT NOTED THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE STILL-ILLUMINATED NOSE GEAR LIGHT, THE OIL TEMP GAUGE WAS SHOWING MAX OIL TEMP (RED LINE) AND THAT OIL PRESSURE WAS JUST IN OR AT THE YELLOW CAUTION ZONE. AT THIS POINT THE PLT AGAIN REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC BACK TO PWA FOR A FULL-STOP LNDG. OKLAHOMA APCH ASKED IF THE PLT INTENDED OR WISHED TO DECLARE AN EMER, AND THE PLT RESPONDED 'NO, THERE IS A NEEDLED PEGGED THAT NEEDED ATTN AND HE JUST WOULD RATHER GET ON THE GND TO SORT IT OUT.' THE FLT WAS HANDED OVER TO PWA TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE PLT CYCLED THE GEAR TO DETERMINE IF ALL GEAR WERE IN FACT EXTENDED AND ALSO REQUESTED A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE TWR. PWA TWR RPTED TO THE PLT THAT ALL 3 GEAR APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED AND THE PLT RPTED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, GIVEN THE FALSE INDICATION WHEN RETRACTED. DUE TO THE HIGH OIL TEMP INDICATION, THE PLT DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFEST TO LAND AT THAT TIME, SINCE A HIGH OIL TEMP READING COULD BE AN EARLY INDICATION OF IMPENDING ENG FAILURE. THE PLT LANDED THE FLT WITH AS SOFT A TOUCHDOWN AS POSSIBLE, AT XA10, AND THEN NOTED, AS THE NOSE WAS LOWERED, SOUNDS OF THE PROP STRIKING THE RWY. THE PLT RAISED THE NOSE TO STOP THE STRIKING AND BEGAN SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL AND FUEL PUMP. THE PLT RPTED TO THE TWR THAT THERE WAS A NOSE GEAR FAILURE AND IMMINENT COLLAPSE THEN CAREFULLY LOWERED THE NOSE TO THE RWY. THE REMAINING ROLLOUT WAS SHORT. THE PLT THEN TURNED OFF THE ACFT MASTER SWITCH AND EXITED THE PLANE TO ASSIST IN SALVAGE AND RECOVERY.

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.