PVT SMT ACFT LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED DURING LNDG CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative

AT THE COMPLETION OF THE TURN TO DOWNWIND I LOWERED THE GEAR. THE GEAR UP LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE GEAR DOWN LIGHT (SINGLE GREEN LIGHT) CAME ON SHORTLY THEREAFTER. EVEN THOUGH THE 'DOWN AND LOCKED' LIGHT WAS ON; THE PLANE DID NOT EXHIBIT THE TRIM CHANGES; AND DRAG ASSOCIATED WITH THE GEAR IN TRANSITION AND THEN IN THE FULL DOWN POS. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE INST INDICATIONS; POS OF THE CTLS; (FLAPS; GEAR SWITCH; CIRCUIT BREAKERS; ETC.) I FOUND NOTHING OUT OF PLACE OR UNUSUAL EXCEPT THAT THE PHYSICAL NOSE DOWN INDICATOR WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL AND DRAG WAS INCREASED; BUT DIFFERENT THAN THAT ASSOCIATED WITH THE GEAR BEING FULLY DOWN. I THEN NOTIFIED THE TWR (ASH) THAT WE MAY HAVE A GEAR PROB AND REQUESTED A FLY-BY TO SEE IF THE TWR COULD DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE GEAR. 2 PASSES AT 200 FT AGL WERE MADE; ONE IN EACH DIRECTION. THE TWR SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE GEAR WAS DOWN; BUT WITH THE DARKNESS; SPD OF THE PLANE; AND THE TURB MAKING IT HARD TO KEEP THE PLANE LEVEL; THEY COULD NOT OFFER MORE ASSURANCE. I REQUESTED EMER EQUIP; AND CIRCLED N OF THE FIELD UNTIL THE FIRE EQUIP WAS IN PLACE. WHILE DOING THIS; THE OWNER OF THE PLANE TALKED TO ME ON THE RADIO. WE WENT THROUGH THE SAME CHKLIST AND DISCUSSED THE FEEL OF THE PLANE. ADDITIONALLY; I USED THE EMER MANUAL EXTENSION MECHANISM TO EXTEND THE GEAR. I DESCRIBED THE FEEL OF TURNING THE CRANK AS BEING LIGHT AND NO RESISTANCE -- MUCH LESS EFFORT TO TURN THE CRANK THAN I EXPERIENCED DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE. I CAME BACK TO THE TWR FREQ; TOLD THEM I WAS READY TO LAND AND TO EXPECT A GEAR PROB AS THE PLANE STILL FELT FUNNY AND WE WERE UNABLE TO CHANGE OR VERIFY THE SIT. DURING THIS TIME; I BRIEFED MY PAX ON WHAT MAY HAPPEN AND HOW TO OPEN THE EMER WINDOW EXITS. TURB ON FINAL WAS MODERATE UNTIL ABOUT 300-200 AGL; WIND WAS 2208G12. RWY 14 WAS USED (ASH ONLY HAS 1 RWY). XING THE THRESHOLD I WAS AT 85-80 MPH INDICATED; AND FULL FLAPS. ONCE IN GND EFFECT; I RETARDED THE PWR; PULLED THE MIXTURE; AND WAS REACHING FOR THE PROP CTL WHEN I FELT THE WHEELS TOUCH AND THE PLANE SWERVE L; THEN STRAIGHTEN AS THE BELLY HIT THE RWY. WE SLID FOR ABOUT 400-500 FT. OPENED THE DOOR AND ALL 4 PEOPLE EXITED THE PLANE UNHARMED. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION BY FAA SHOWED THE WORM GEAR IN THE GEAR EXTENSION MECHANISM FRACTURED AND LEFT THE GEAR IN A PARTIALLY EXTENDED POS. THE PLANE SLID DOWN THE RWY ON ITS NOSE AND ON THE MAIN GEAR (SIDES OF THE TIRES). THIS HELPED TO MINIMIZE THE OVERALL DAMAGE.