Narrative:

We had just changed frequency from fll approach control to fxe tower (ATC tower) when we hit a bird in the nose area of the airplane (small aircraft). The tower frequency was very congested, but I declared an emergency because of a vibration and requested clearance to land. I later found out that the tower didn't hear my radio transmission, although another pilot heard me declare an emergency twice. When I lowered the landing gear, I observed an unsafe warning light and audio warning. At this time we checked the main landing gear visually and observed both main landing gear down and appeared to be locked in place. I then requested to fly by the tower to evaluate the damage assuming that the tower heard my bird strike transmission. The radio traffic on the tower frequency was so heavy that I could not communication with the tower. I wanted to land on an inactive runway, but could not transmit this request, so on the second approach I landed knowing I had an unsafe nose landing gear. I elected to land immediately because of possible damage to the propeller or other components. My point to this report is that ATC should change its procedures to clear all traffic out of the landing pattern at the time of an emergency and clear the radio frequency--not work normal traffic around the emergency. This is the procedure that the military uses and it works well. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the main reason for this report is for reporter to complain about the lack of coordination between fort lauderdale tower/approach control and executive tower. When reporter came through the fll air traffic area and arsa and came to the point where a change of frequency to fxe should have been made, fll said nothing. When reporter tried to ask about a frequency change, he could get no reply. He finally changed to fxe frequency and was told to hold outside the fxe air traffic area. At that time, he was already in the air traffic area and had the bird strike very short after that then, he could not get fxe tower to acknowledge his report of a bird strike and his declaration of emergency. Reporter later heard the tower tapes and his call of emergency was on the recording. The controller and trnee involved at local control said they did not hear the emergency declared. It was suggested to reporter that he meet with facility manager and discuss his views about the coordination problem and try to make suggestions for improvement. Reporter agreed to do this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SUSTAINED BIRD STRIKE AND DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR DOOR NECESSITATING AN EMERGENCY LNDG WITHOUT NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST CHANGED FREQ FROM FLL APCH CTL TO FXE TWR (ATC TWR) WHEN WE HIT A BIRD IN THE NOSE AREA OF THE AIRPLANE (SMA). THE TWR FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED, BUT I DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE OF A VIBRATION AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO LAND. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE TWR DIDN'T HEAR MY RADIO XMISSION, ALTHOUGH ANOTHER PLT HEARD ME DECLARE AN EMER TWICE. WHEN I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR, I OBSERVED AN UNSAFE WARNING LIGHT AND AUDIO WARNING. AT THIS TIME WE CHKED THE MAIN LNDG GEAR VISUALLY AND OBSERVED BOTH MAIN LNDG GEAR DOWN AND APPEARED TO BE LOCKED IN PLACE. I THEN REQUESTED TO FLY BY THE TWR TO EVALUATE THE DAMAGE ASSUMING THAT THE TWR HEARD MY BIRD STRIKE XMISSION. THE RADIO TFC ON THE TWR FREQ WAS SO HEAVY THAT I COULD NOT COM WITH THE TWR. I WANTED TO LAND ON AN INACTIVE RWY, BUT COULD NOT XMIT THIS REQUEST, SO ON THE SECOND APCH I LANDED KNOWING I HAD AN UNSAFE NOSE LNDG GEAR. I ELECTED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PROP OR OTHER COMPONENTS. MY POINT TO THIS RPT IS THAT ATC SHOULD CHANGE ITS PROCS TO CLR ALL TFC OUT OF THE LNDG PATTERN AT THE TIME OF AN EMER AND CLR THE RADIO FREQ--NOT WORK NORMAL TFC AROUND THE EMER. THIS IS THE PROC THAT THE MIL USES AND IT WORKS WELL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS RPT IS FOR RPTR TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF COORD BTWN FORT LAUDERDALE TWR/APCH CTL AND EXECUTIVE TWR. WHEN RPTR CAME THROUGH THE FLL ATA AND ARSA AND CAME TO THE POINT WHERE A CHANGE OF FREQ TO FXE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE, FLL SAID NOTHING. WHEN RPTR TRIED TO ASK ABOUT A FREQ CHANGE, HE COULD GET NO REPLY. HE FINALLY CHANGED TO FXE FREQ AND WAS TOLD TO HOLD OUTSIDE THE FXE ATA. AT THAT TIME, HE WAS ALREADY IN THE ATA AND HAD THE BIRD STRIKE VERY SHORT AFTER THAT THEN, HE COULD NOT GET FXE TWR TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS RPT OF A BIRD STRIKE AND HIS DECLARATION OF EMER. RPTR LATER HEARD THE TWR TAPES AND HIS CALL OF EMER WAS ON THE RECORDING. THE CTLR AND TRNEE INVOLVED AT LCL CTL SAID THEY DID NOT HEAR THE EMER DECLARED. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO RPTR THAT HE MEET WITH FAC MGR AND DISCUSS HIS VIEWS ABOUT THE COORD PROB AND TRY TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. RPTR AGREED TO DO THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.