A PA32 pilot has a nose gear failure resulting in the propeller striking the ground.

Attributes
ACN	600111
Time
Date	200311
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	600111
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe ground encounters : gear up landing
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed go around
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I arrived over abl, entered the left downwind for runway 18, extended the landing gear, observed 3 green lights as usual and checked them several more times prior to landing. As always, no indication the gear was unsafe. The touchdown on the main gear was good. As the nose gear settled to the ground something went wrong. I heard a 'tha-tha-tha' sound, felt vibration, the gear unsafe light came on, and the horn sounded. I reacted by pulling back and adding full power and went around. I flew over the airport several circles to try and get another plane to answer the radio and verify my nose gear. After being unsuccessful, decided to return to otz and get help there. Arriving in otz, I made a fly-by to have a worker verify my gear position, then made a landing bouncing the nose gear to verify it was locked. After engine shut down it was evident that all 3 propeller blades had contacted the ground. If I had known the blades had been bent I wouldn't have flown it the hour back to otz.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT HAS A NOSE GEAR FAILURE RESULTING IN THE PROP STRIKING THE GND.

Narrative: I ARRIVED OVER ABL, ENTERED THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 18, EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR, OBSERVED 3 GREEN LIGHTS AS USUAL AND CHKED THEM SEVERAL MORE TIMES PRIOR TO LNDG. AS ALWAYS, NO INDICATION THE GEAR WAS UNSAFE. THE TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR WAS GOOD. AS THE NOSE GEAR SETTLED TO THE GND SOMETHING WENT WRONG. I HEARD A 'THA-THA-THA' SOUND, FELT VIBRATION, THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE HORN SOUNDED. I REACTED BY PULLING BACK AND ADDING FULL PWR AND WENT AROUND. I FLEW OVER THE ARPT SEVERAL CIRCLES TO TRY AND GET ANOTHER PLANE TO ANSWER THE RADIO AND VERIFY MY NOSE GEAR. AFTER BEING UNSUCCESSFUL, DECIDED TO RETURN TO OTZ AND GET HELP THERE. ARRIVING IN OTZ, I MADE A FLY-BY TO HAVE A WORKER VERIFY MY GEAR POS, THEN MADE A LNDG BOUNCING THE NOSE GEAR TO VERIFY IT WAS LOCKED. AFTER ENG SHUT DOWN IT WAS EVIDENT THAT ALL 3 PROP BLADES HAD CONTACTED THE GND. IF I HAD KNOWN THE BLADES HAD BEEN BENT I WOULDN'T HAVE FLOWN IT THE HR BACK TO OTZ.

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.