Narrative:

Landing gear was confirmed down and locked '3 greens' on no less than 3 separate occasions during approach including within 60 seconds of touchdown. Slight balloon during landing flare resulted in harder than normal landing. Aircraft was less than 3 ft above the runway when lift was lost. Full back pressure was applied to ensure landing on the main gear. Main gear touched followed by nose gear. Nose gear collapsed on contact with runway. Although the landing was harder than normal it was not at a level that should have resulted in gear failure; especially when contact was made first with the main gear. Addition of power or delay of final power reduction in the flare may have resulted in a softer landing. Later when attempting to tow the aircraft it was discovered that the main gear locks were not engaged and there was hydraulic pressure in the lines. Both pilots; instructor (myself) and student were well rested and alert. Flight and approach gave no indication of any problems or reason for concern. I confirmed all checklist items were completed on approach and monitored my student's actions. I cannot identify any action or inaction that would have changed the outcome of the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that while the landing was slightly harder than normal; it was well within a training airplane limits and did not contribute to the nose landing gear collapse. The airplane incurred damage to the fiberglas nose section; propellers bent and engine's sudden stoppage will require teardown. The exact cause of the nose gear failure has not been determined as the airplane has not been jacked and the landing gear tested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34-200T LANDED HARDER THAN NORMAL ON THE MAIN LNDG GEAR AND WHEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED IT COLLAPSED. INCURRED DAMAGE TO NOSE; PROPS AND ENGS.

Narrative: LNDG GEAR WAS CONFIRMED DOWN AND LOCKED '3 GREENS' ON NO LESS THAN 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING APCH INCLUDING WITHIN 60 SECONDS OF TOUCHDOWN. SLIGHT BALLOON DURING LNDG FLARE RESULTED IN HARDER THAN NORMAL LNDG. ACFT WAS LESS THAN 3 FT ABOVE THE RWY WHEN LIFT WAS LOST. FULL BACK PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO ENSURE LNDG ON THE MAIN GEAR. MAIN GEAR TOUCHED FOLLOWED BY NOSE GEAR. NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON CONTACT WITH RWY. ALTHOUGH THE LNDG WAS HARDER THAN NORMAL IT WAS NOT AT A LEVEL THAT SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN GEAR FAILURE; ESPECIALLY WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE FIRST WITH THE MAIN GEAR. ADDITION OF PWR OR DELAY OF FINAL PWR REDUCTION IN THE FLARE MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A SOFTER LNDG. LATER WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TOW THE ACFT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN GEAR LOCKS WERE NOT ENGAGED AND THERE WAS HYD PRESSURE IN THE LINES. BOTH PLTS; INSTRUCTOR (MYSELF) AND STUDENT WERE WELL RESTED AND ALERT. FLT AND APCH GAVE NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBS OR REASON FOR CONCERN. I CONFIRMED ALL CHKLIST ITEMS WERE COMPLETED ON APCH AND MONITORED MY STUDENT'S ACTIONS. I CANNOT IDENT ANY ACTION OR INACTION THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHILE THE LNDG WAS SLIGHTLY HARDER THAN NORMAL; IT WAS WELL WITHIN A TRAINING AIRPLANE LIMITS AND DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE NOSE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE. THE AIRPLANE INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE FIBERGLAS NOSE SECTION; PROPS BENT AND ENG'S SUDDEN STOPPAGE WILL REQUIRE TEARDOWN. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE NOSE GEAR FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AS THE AIRPLANE HAS NOT BEEN JACKED AND THE LNDG GEAR TESTED.

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.