Narrative:

After the 2 mains touched down and I slowly let the nosewheel down; I noticed a jar and my husband said the windshield shattered. We had a previous problem with the new windows leaking and the mechanic said they were fine till the august annual; so I assumed it was the windows. I told the tower of the shattered windshield they asked if I thought anything was on the runway. I said I was not sure. They asked if I needed assistance and I said I was taxiing to the FBO. At this point the controls were getting hard and I shut it down right before pulling in to a parking spot. The linemen where there at this point to assist me. Upon disembarking; I was shocked to see the propellers bent. The mechanic at the FBO checked the plane out on the following day and said the housing bracket holding the nosewheel gear broke. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was unaware of the nosewheel bracket failure as the airplane was able to steer off the runway to a maintenance facility. The only failure noted on landing was the shattered windshield. The windshield was an ongoing air leak problem that was to be corrected at the next annual inspection. The aircraft incurred damage to the propellers and the engines may require tear-down. The broken bracket allowed the nosewheel to move up into the strut. The reporter did not question maintenance on the exact component that failed on the landing gear other than it was a bracket.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 EXPERIENCED NOSE GEAR FAILURE; STEERING PROBS AND A SHATTERED WINDSHIELD ON LNDG. ADDITIONAL ACFT DAMAGE WAS NOTED DURING POSTFLT.

Narrative: AFTER THE 2 MAINS TOUCHED DOWN AND I SLOWLY LET THE NOSEWHEEL DOWN; I NOTICED A JAR AND MY HUSBAND SAID THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. WE HAD A PREVIOUS PROB WITH THE NEW WINDOWS LEAKING AND THE MECH SAID THEY WERE FINE TILL THE AUGUST ANNUAL; SO I ASSUMED IT WAS THE WINDOWS. I TOLD THE TWR OF THE SHATTERED WINDSHIELD THEY ASKED IF I THOUGHT ANYTHING WAS ON THE RWY. I SAID I WAS NOT SURE. THEY ASKED IF I NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND I SAID I WAS TAXIING TO THE FBO. AT THIS POINT THE CTLS WERE GETTING HARD AND I SHUT IT DOWN RIGHT BEFORE PULLING IN TO A PARKING SPOT. THE LINEMEN WHERE THERE AT THIS POINT TO ASSIST ME. UPON DISEMBARKING; I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE PROPS BENT. THE MECH AT THE FBO CHKED THE PLANE OUT ON THE FOLLOWING DAY AND SAID THE HOUSING BRACKET HOLDING THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR BROKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS UNAWARE OF THE NOSEWHEEL BRACKET FAILURE AS THE AIRPLANE WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF THE RWY TO A MAINT FACILITY. THE ONLY FAILURE NOTED ON LNDG WAS THE SHATTERED WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD WAS AN ONGOING AIR LEAK PROB THAT WAS TO BE CORRECTED AT THE NEXT ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE ACFT INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE PROPS AND THE ENGS MAY REQUIRE TEAR-DOWN. THE BROKEN BRACKET ALLOWED THE NOSEWHEEL TO MOVE UP INTO THE STRUT. THE RPTR DID NOT QUESTION MAINT ON THE EXACT COMPONENT THAT FAILED ON THE LNDG GEAR OTHER THAN IT WAS A BRACKET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.