Narrative:

My primary student and I were going to undertake a local training flight in preparation for his upcoming check ride. A solo student pilot had flown the airplane before we did. I was running behind, so my student preflted the aircraft and found no problems. I met with my student and performed a quick walkaround prior to boarding the plane. The plane appeared somewhat pointed down toward the ground, but I dismissed it as a combination of main strut over-inflation and nose strut under-inflation, which is how it appeared. During taxi, it was difficult to steer the airplane with the rudder pedals. However, handling was otherwise fine. We did local airwork and returned for one landing, again noting no control problems. Upon taxiing in, my student commented on the lack of nosewheel steering authority/authorized. I completed a postflt walkaround inspection, paying close attention to the nose strut and assembly, but again noted nothing out of the ordinary that would cause the problem, other than a slightly under-inflated nosewheel. I didn't feel it was necessary to take the airplane OTS for inspection, as the problem was similar to simply poorly lubricated steering assemblies and a low front tire. The crew after us wrote up an unrelated discrepancy, and after inspecting the airplane, maintenance determined that the airplane had at some point experienced a nose-first landing that subsequently bent the nose strut aft and depressed it upward into the cowling. I inspected the aircraft after this was found, and it was still difficult to ascertain what, if any, damage had occurred, although the nose strut was at a slightly awkward angle where it joined the cowling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA28 WAS FLOWN AND OPERATED FOR SEVERAL FLTS IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A DAMAGED NOSE GEAR, CAUSED BY A NOSE FIRST LNDG.

Narrative: MY PRIMARY STUDENT AND I WERE GOING TO UNDERTAKE A LCL TRAINING FLT IN PREPARATION FOR HIS UPCOMING CHK RIDE. A SOLO STUDENT PLT HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE BEFORE WE DID. I WAS RUNNING BEHIND, SO MY STUDENT PREFLTED THE ACFT AND FOUND NO PROBS. I MET WITH MY STUDENT AND PERFORMED A QUICK WALKAROUND PRIOR TO BOARDING THE PLANE. THE PLANE APPEARED SOMEWHAT POINTED DOWN TOWARD THE GND, BUT I DISMISSED IT AS A COMBINATION OF MAIN STRUT OVER-INFLATION AND NOSE STRUT UNDER-INFLATION, WHICH IS HOW IT APPEARED. DURING TAXI, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS. HOWEVER, HANDLING WAS OTHERWISE FINE. WE DID LCL AIRWORK AND RETURNED FOR ONE LNDG, AGAIN NOTING NO CTL PROBS. UPON TAXIING IN, MY STUDENT COMMENTED ON THE LACK OF NOSEWHEEL STEERING AUTH. I COMPLETED A POSTFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION, PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO THE NOSE STRUT AND ASSEMBLY, BUT AGAIN NOTED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT WOULD CAUSE THE PROB, OTHER THAN A SLIGHTLY UNDER-INFLATED NOSEWHEEL. I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE OTS FOR INSPECTION, AS THE PROB WAS SIMILAR TO SIMPLY POORLY LUBRICATED STEERING ASSEMBLIES AND A LOW FRONT TIRE. THE CREW AFTER US WROTE UP AN UNRELATED DISCREPANCY, AND AFTER INSPECTING THE AIRPLANE, MAINT DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD AT SOME POINT EXPERIENCED A NOSE-FIRST LNDG THAT SUBSEQUENTLY BENT THE NOSE STRUT AFT AND DEPRESSED IT UPWARD INTO THE COWLING. I INSPECTED THE ACFT AFTER THIS WAS FOUND, AND IT WAS STILL DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN WHAT, IF ANY, DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED, ALTHOUGH THE NOSE STRUT WAS AT A SLIGHTLY AWKWARD ANGLE WHERE IT JOINED THE COWLING.

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.