Narrative:

Upon landing; the nosewheel collapsed; causing damage to the nose section of the aircraft as well as both propellers. The landing was not hard. An airworthiness directive was issued less than 2 weeks prior addressing many problems with the nose gear. The airworthiness directive advises that it is not a design error; but a maintenance problem. My concern is with the FAA investigation. My mechanic advised me that they found an airworthiness directive out of compliance on the engine. He said his search did not show it; but the FAA went through a mooney airworthiness directive with the same engine and found it. Here I situation wondering if I'm going to have action taken against me for flying an aircraft that was not airworthy when my ia FAA licensed mechanic couldn't even find this airworthiness directive. When consequences (FAA actions) are not aligned with reasonable and logical processes the community loses confidence in the governing authority/authorized. I know I questioned whether to report this incident at all. If I have action taken against me for an airworthiness directive on the engine that my mechanic; with his last annual; certified was in compliance and was not even a causal factor in the incident; I will question the competence of this organization. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the nose gear collapse was the failure of the downlock and the gear actuator that was found cracked. The reporter blames the nose gear condition on the FBO practice of towing the airplane with a tug and making sharp turns. The damage besides the nose gear components include the propellers which are bent and require replacement; both engines need disassembly for inspection and some sheet metal repair. The FAA inspector that brought up the engine airworthiness directive violation has not been heard from and the reporter believes it is settled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34-200 UPON LNDG; THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED; INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR; ENGS; AND PROPS. CAUSED BY FAILED ACTUATOR AND DOWNLOCK.

Narrative: UPON LNDG; THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED; CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE NOSE SECTION OF THE ACFT AS WELL AS BOTH PROPS. THE LNDG WAS NOT HARD. AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS ISSUED LESS THAN 2 WKS PRIOR ADDRESSING MANY PROBS WITH THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ADVISES THAT IT IS NOT A DESIGN ERROR; BUT A MAINT PROB. MY CONCERN IS WITH THE FAA INVESTIGATION. MY MECH ADVISED ME THAT THEY FOUND AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE OUT OF COMPLIANCE ON THE ENG. HE SAID HIS SEARCH DID NOT SHOW IT; BUT THE FAA WENT THROUGH A MOONEY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WITH THE SAME ENG AND FOUND IT. HERE I SIT WONDERING IF I'M GOING TO HAVE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST ME FOR FLYING AN ACFT THAT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY WHEN MY IA FAA LICENSED MECH COULDN'T EVEN FIND THIS AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. WHEN CONSEQUENCES (FAA ACTIONS) ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH REASONABLE AND LOGICAL PROCESSES THE COMMUNITY LOSES CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNING AUTH. I KNOW I QUESTIONED WHETHER TO RPT THIS INCIDENT AT ALL. IF I HAVE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST ME FOR AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON THE ENG THAT MY MECH; WITH HIS LAST ANNUAL; CERTIFIED WAS IN COMPLIANCE AND WAS NOT EVEN A CAUSAL FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT; I WILL QUESTION THE COMPETENCE OF THIS ORGANIZATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE WAS THE FAILURE OF THE DOWNLOCK AND THE GEAR ACTUATOR THAT WAS FOUND CRACKED. THE RPTR BLAMES THE NOSE GEAR CONDITION ON THE FBO PRACTICE OF TOWING THE AIRPLANE WITH A TUG AND MAKING SHARP TURNS. THE DAMAGE BESIDES THE NOSE GEAR COMPONENTS INCLUDE THE PROPS WHICH ARE BENT AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT; BOTH ENGS NEED DISASSEMBLY FOR INSPECTION AND SOME SHEET METAL REPAIR. THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT BROUGHT UP THE ENG AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE VIOLATION HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM AND THE RPTR BELIEVES IT IS SETTLED.

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.