Narrative:

Flight departed lbb, 1 soul on board, and fuel for trip, plus IFR reserve to fort worth alliance and ruidoso, NM. IFR flight plan filed, VMC WX prevailed for entire trip. On departure, no gear problems were noted. Gear lights and visual mirror indicated gear up and locked. First indication of a problem was when on final cleared to land alliance. Landing checklist completed. Approach power, speed and flaps were accomplished as per landing checklist. On approximately 4 mi final, gear handle was placed in down position. Immediately a loud pop was heard, and nose gear doors were open with about 1/3 of nose tire observed. Gear was then recycled, and again, nose gear failed to properly extend. Circling the airport, the tower observed the nose gear partially visible. Another attempt at recycling the gear was accomplished, which also failed to extend the nose gear. The emergency checklist was again reviewed and an attempt to extend it, using the emergency gear extension procedure, was initiated. This attempt also failed to fully extend the nose gear. The main gear was down and locked. At this time, the decision was made to return to lbb with the main gear extended. Giving consideration to fuel on board and the likelihood of fire on landing, the decision was made to return to lbb. No more discrepancies were noted during the return flight. A fly-by, by lbb tower indicated a partially extended nose gear. Having more fuel that could be burned off due to economy cruise to lbb, I held to the northeast of lbb, away from traffic for approximately 25 mins. After reviewing the emergency checklist, landing with main gear, defective nose gear, landing was then initiated on runway 26. Touchdown was made on main gear. After elevator control diminished, the aircraft nose was lowered to partially extended nose gear. Aircraft slid to a stop approximately 150 ft. No injuries or fire ensued at this time. I have no idea what could have been done to avoid this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 LANDED LBB WITH PARTIALLY EXTENDED NOSE WHEEL.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED LBB, 1 SOUL ON BOARD, AND FUEL FOR TRIP, PLUS IFR RESERVE TO FORT WORTH ALLIANCE AND RUIDOSO, NM. IFR FLT PLAN FILED, VMC WX PREVAILED FOR ENTIRE TRIP. ON DEP, NO GEAR PROBS WERE NOTED. GEAR LIGHTS AND VISUAL MIRROR INDICATED GEAR UP AND LOCKED. FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB WAS WHEN ON FINAL CLRED TO LAND ALLIANCE. LNDG CHKLIST COMPLETED. APCH PWR, SPD AND FLAPS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AS PER LNDG CHKLIST. ON APPROX 4 MI FINAL, GEAR HANDLE WAS PLACED IN DOWN POS. IMMEDIATELY A LOUD POP WAS HEARD, AND NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN WITH ABOUT 1/3 OF NOSE TIRE OBSERVED. GEAR WAS THEN RECYCLED, AND AGAIN, NOSE GEAR FAILED TO PROPERLY EXTEND. CIRCLING THE ARPT, THE TWR OBSERVED THE NOSE GEAR PARTIALLY VISIBLE. ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT RECYCLING THE GEAR WAS ACCOMPLISHED, WHICH ALSO FAILED TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR. THE EMER CHKLIST WAS AGAIN REVIEWED AND AN ATTEMPT TO EXTEND IT, USING THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC, WAS INITIATED. THIS ATTEMPT ALSO FAILED TO FULLY EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR. THE MAIN GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. AT THIS TIME, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO LBB WITH THE MAIN GEAR EXTENDED. GIVING CONSIDERATION TO FUEL ON BOARD AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF FIRE ON LNDG, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO LBB. NO MORE DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING THE RETURN FLT. A FLY-BY, BY LBB TWR INDICATED A PARTIALLY EXTENDED NOSE GEAR. HAVING MORE FUEL THAT COULD BE BURNED OFF DUE TO ECONOMY CRUISE TO LBB, I HELD TO THE NE OF LBB, AWAY FROM TFC FOR APPROX 25 MINS. AFTER REVIEWING THE EMER CHKLIST, LNDG WITH MAIN GEAR, DEFECTIVE NOSE GEAR, LNDG WAS THEN INITIATED ON RWY 26. TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE ON MAIN GEAR. AFTER ELEVATOR CTL DIMINISHED, THE ACFT NOSE WAS LOWERED TO PARTIALLY EXTENDED NOSE GEAR. ACFT SLID TO A STOP APPROX 150 FT. NO INJURIES OR FIRE ENSUED AT THIS TIME. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO AVOID THIS INCIDENT.

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.