Narrative:

After departing ZZZ1 and reaching cruise altitude of 8000 ft MSL determined that nosewheel was not fully retracted but was trailing back at about a 45-degree angle from fully extended. Slowed airspeed and extended and retracted landing gear twice. Nose gear extended partially the first attempt but then moved back into 45-degree position and did not move the second time. Notified center that I would like to proceed to ZZZ2. Attempted to manually extend gear three times with no success. Conferred with company director of operations by cellular telephone and decided to proceed to ZZZ3 to troubleshoot problem with company maintenance personnel. Arrived at ZZZ3 and completed two low approaches where maintenance personnel determined that nose gear assembly was inoperative. After that notified approach control that I would like to proceed to ZZZ4 for a landing and declared an emergency. Landed at ZZZ4 with nose gear in trailing position and nose of airplane contacted runway surface after full back elevator would not maintain nose off of runway. Evacuated aircraft after it came to a complete stop. Inspection by maintenance personnel determined that the rod end of the nose gear actuator/retract arm failed. Recommend inspection and possible replacement of the rod end on all be 58.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the lower end of a long rod on the right side of the nose wheel well connects to the nose gear. The failure was at the connection of the upper end of that same rod to the nose gear actuator retract arm. Reporter stated he was told there is not a life limited required time replacement of this actuator or connecting link. He is not aware of any service bulletin associated with this nose gear actuator and connecting rod. Reporter adds; he is filing this report because of the safety of flight concerns for other pilots and passengers; and for the lack of any information or specific maintenance requirements regarding this nose gear retract failure problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH BARON BE-58 PILOT REPORTS NOSE GEAR DID NOT FULLY RETRACT AFTER TKOF. NOSE GEAR TRAILING AT 45-DEGREE POSITION. EMERGENCY DECLARED. ROD END OF NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR/RETRACT ARM FAILED.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING ZZZ1 AND REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 8000 FT MSL DETERMINED THAT NOSEWHEEL WAS NOT FULLY RETRACTED BUT WAS TRAILING BACK AT ABOUT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE FROM FULLY EXTENDED. SLOWED AIRSPEED AND EXTENDED AND RETRACTED LANDING GEAR TWICE. NOSE GEAR EXTENDED PARTIALLY THE FIRST ATTEMPT BUT THEN MOVED BACK INTO 45-DEGREE POSITION AND DID NOT MOVE THE SECOND TIME. NOTIFIED CENTER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED TO ZZZ2. ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY EXTEND GEAR THREE TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. CONFERRED WITH COMPANY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS BY CELLULAR TELEPHONE AND DECIDED TO PROCEED TO ZZZ3 TO TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEM WITH COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. ARRIVED AT ZZZ3 AND COMPLETED TWO LOW APPROACHES WHERE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS INOPERATIVE. AFTER THAT NOTIFIED APPROACH CONTROL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED TO ZZZ4 FOR A LANDING AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. LANDED AT ZZZ4 WITH NOSE GEAR IN TRAILING POSITION AND NOSE OF AIRPLANE CONTACTED RUNWAY SURFACE AFTER FULL BACK ELEVATOR WOULD NOT MAINTAIN NOSE OFF OF RUNWAY. EVACUATED AIRCRAFT AFTER IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. INSPECTION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE ROD END OF THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR/RETRACT ARM FAILED. RECOMMEND INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF THE ROD END ON ALL BE 58.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE LOWER END OF A LONG ROD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE NOSE WHEEL WELL CONNECTS TO THE NOSE GEAR. THE FAILURE WAS AT THE CONNECTION OF THE UPPER END OF THAT SAME ROD TO THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR RETRACT ARM. REPORTER STATED HE WAS TOLD THERE IS NOT A LIFE LIMITED REQUIRED TIME REPLACEMENT OF THIS ACTUATOR OR CONNECTING LINK. HE IS NOT AWARE OF ANY SERVICE BULLETIN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR AND CONNECTING ROD. REPORTER ADDS; HE IS FILING THIS REPORT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY OF FLIGHT CONCERNS FOR OTHER PILOTS AND PASSENGERS; AND FOR THE LACK OF ANY INFORMATION OR SPECIFIC MAINT REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THIS NOSE GEAR RETRACT FAILURE PROBLEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.