Narrative:

I am an instrument rated private pilot and arrived at FBO at XA30 to prepare for my commercial check ride at ZZZ1 airport; I performed the required preflight checks and filled the gas tanks. I was joined by another student as a passenger for the same purpose. We took off on an IFR flight plan from ZZZ at XA00 and were immediately told by TRACON that we needed to recycle our transponder as the signal was intermittent; also at this time it was noted that the yellow in xsit light remained on after the undercarriage had been retracted. Upon clearing the cloud tops at 2400 ft I recycled the landing gear twice and the light remained on. TRACON informed us twice more about the transponder during the flight; the time we were told to circle at our current position; 5-10 mi west of VOR. The rest of the flight was uneventful; all engine indications were correct during checks on route. We landed at ZZZ2 as the mist and visibility at ZZZ1 were questionable; taxied to the run up area at the departure end of runway 24 and switched the aircraft off and phoned air traffic area for an update on the local conditions. We were told that we should have no problem flying downwind in the traffic pattern at ZZZ2 and turning to a heading of 060 degrees to get a visual on the runway. The aircraft had been switched off for approximately 5 mins and the time at this point was XA11. Upon performing the required startup from the checklist the engine would not start and the propeller did not move but a rapid clicking sound could be heard. I took the keys out and left the master switch on and lowered the flaps; my deduction being that the battery was flat. We decided to walk over to an FBO hangar to see if help could be provided. A mechanic confirmed a dead battery and towed us to the hangar and recharged the battery enough to start the engine. I called ZZZ1 air traffic area again and informed them of the problem and cancelled the check rides. At XE59 we took off to return to ZZZ in VFR conditions; got flight following and climbed to 3500 ft; again the same problem with the in xsit light for the undercarriage. WX conditions at ZZZ were VMC and we made the usual straight in approach to runway 25L; the undercarriage came down; the in xsit light extinguished; there were 3 green indicator lights and I also performed the standard checklist for landing (gumps). The landing took place at XA33. Wind was calm and approach was normal; the landing was harder than normal; main gear first and then nose. The nose collapsed; the propeller struck the runway; I pulled back on the yoke and tried to add power to in effect land again on the main gear and keep the nose up; we hit the runway again on the main gear and the nose struck again. I pulled off the runway to the right (runway 25L at taxiway B). I contacted ground and informed them there had been a problem and they asked me if I needed assistance and I said yes. I then called the FBO and informed them. 4 police officers arrived and took details. The police told us the NTSB would not be coming and that the aircraft had been released; it was towed back by a mechanic; using a 4 wheeled device that placed a plate under the collapsed nosewheel and hydraulically jacked it up so it could be pulled by a strap that was tied around the strut. The nosewheel came to rest in a position that I would describe as 80 degrees aft of its normal extended position; so that the tire was still in contact with the ground and that is how we came to be able to exit the runway by ourselves. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he did not know the reason for the failure and that the FAA was still investigating the cause. He is scheduled for an FAA interview and a complex aircraft check ride in the near future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C24 NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED FOLLOWING WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL LANDING.

Narrative: I AM AN INST RATED PRIVATE PLT AND ARRIVED AT FBO AT XA30 TO PREPARE FOR MY COMMERCIAL CHK RIDE AT ZZZ1 ARPT; I PERFORMED THE REQUIRED PREFLT CHKS AND FILLED THE GAS TANKS. I WAS JOINED BY ANOTHER STUDENT AS A PAX FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. WE TOOK OFF ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM ZZZ AT XA00 AND WERE IMMEDIATELY TOLD BY TRACON THAT WE NEEDED TO RECYCLE OUR XPONDER AS THE SIGNAL WAS INTERMITTENT; ALSO AT THIS TIME IT WAS NOTED THAT THE YELLOW IN XSIT LIGHT REMAINED ON AFTER THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAD BEEN RETRACTED. UPON CLRING THE CLOUD TOPS AT 2400 FT I RECYCLED THE LNDG GEAR TWICE AND THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. TRACON INFORMED US TWICE MORE ABOUT THE XPONDER DURING THE FLT; THE TIME WE WERE TOLD TO CIRCLE AT OUR CURRENT POS; 5-10 MI W OF VOR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL; ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE CORRECT DURING CHKS ON RTE. WE LANDED AT ZZZ2 AS THE MIST AND VISIBILITY AT ZZZ1 WERE QUESTIONABLE; TAXIED TO THE RUN UP AREA AT THE DEP END OF RWY 24 AND SWITCHED THE ACFT OFF AND PHONED ATA FOR AN UPDATE ON THE LCL CONDITIONS. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NO PROB FLYING DOWNWIND IN THE TFC PATTERN AT ZZZ2 AND TURNING TO A HDG OF 060 DEGS TO GET A VISUAL ON THE RWY. THE ACFT HAD BEEN SWITCHED OFF FOR APPROX 5 MINS AND THE TIME AT THIS POINT WAS XA11. UPON PERFORMING THE REQUIRED STARTUP FROM THE CHKLIST THE ENG WOULD NOT START AND THE PROP DID NOT MOVE BUT A RAPID CLICKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD. I TOOK THE KEYS OUT AND LEFT THE MASTER SWITCH ON AND LOWERED THE FLAPS; MY DEDUCTION BEING THAT THE BATTERY WAS FLAT. WE DECIDED TO WALK OVER TO AN FBO HANGAR TO SEE IF HELP COULD BE PROVIDED. A MECH CONFIRMED A DEAD BATTERY AND TOWED US TO THE HANGAR AND RECHARGED THE BATTERY ENOUGH TO START THE ENG. I CALLED ZZZ1 ATA AGAIN AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROB AND CANCELLED THE CHK RIDES. AT XE59 WE TOOK OFF TO RETURN TO ZZZ IN VFR CONDITIONS; GOT FLT FOLLOWING AND CLBED TO 3500 FT; AGAIN THE SAME PROB WITH THE IN XSIT LIGHT FOR THE UNDERCARRIAGE. WX CONDITIONS AT ZZZ WERE VMC AND WE MADE THE USUAL STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 25L; THE UNDERCARRIAGE CAME DOWN; THE IN XSIT LIGHT EXTINGUISHED; THERE WERE 3 GREEN INDICATOR LIGHTS AND I ALSO PERFORMED THE STANDARD CHKLIST FOR LNDG (GUMPS). THE LNDG TOOK PLACE AT XA33. WIND WAS CALM AND APCH WAS NORMAL; THE LNDG WAS HARDER THAN NORMAL; MAIN GEAR FIRST AND THEN NOSE. THE NOSE COLLAPSED; THE PROP STRUCK THE RWY; I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND TRIED TO ADD PWR TO IN EFFECT LAND AGAIN ON THE MAIN GEAR AND KEEP THE NOSE UP; WE HIT THE RWY AGAIN ON THE MAIN GEAR AND THE NOSE STRUCK AGAIN. I PULLED OFF THE RWY TO THE R (RWY 25L AT TXWY B). I CONTACTED GND AND INFORMED THEM THERE HAD BEEN A PROB AND THEY ASKED ME IF I NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND I SAID YES. I THEN CALLED THE FBO AND INFORMED THEM. 4 POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVED AND TOOK DETAILS. THE POLICE TOLD US THE NTSB WOULD NOT BE COMING AND THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN RELEASED; IT WAS TOWED BACK BY A MECH; USING A 4 WHEELED DEVICE THAT PLACED A PLATE UNDER THE COLLAPSED NOSEWHEEL AND HYDRAULICALLY JACKED IT UP SO IT COULD BE PULLED BY A STRAP THAT WAS TIED AROUND THE STRUT. THE NOSEWHEEL CAME TO REST IN A POS THAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS 80 DEGS AFT OF ITS NORMAL EXTENDED POS; SO THAT THE TIRE WAS STILL IN CONTACT WITH THE GND AND THAT IS HOW WE CAME TO BE ABLE TO EXIT THE RWY BY OURSELVES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE AND THAT THE FAA WAS STILL INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE. HE IS SCHEDULED FOR AN FAA INTERVIEW AND A COMPLEX ACFT CHK RIDE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

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.