NOSE GEAR WOULDN'T EXTEND AND A NOSE GEAR UP LNDG FOLLOWED. UNABLE TO CONTACT RPTR AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS; SO CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. RPT SAYS MECH SUSPECTED ICE.

Narrative

PRIOR TO THE OP OF THE ACFT; THE MECHANICAL CONDITION OF THE ACFT BECAME THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WITH THE OWNER OF THE ACFT. HE HAD PROBS WITH THE GEAR EXTENDING ON A PREVIOUS FLT AND HAD DESCRIBED THE PROC HE USED TO FREE THE NOSEWHEEL. MAINT HAD FOUND A PINCHED HYD LINE AND APPARENTLY INCORRECTLY CONCLUDED THAT THE PROB WAS SOLVED. I HAD BEEN IN THE L SEAT DURING THE TKOF; CLB; AND FOR ABOUT 5 MINS OF AIRWORK. CTL OF THE ACFT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE PLT IN THE R SEAT SO HE COULD PRACTICE FROM THE R SEAT. THIS TRAINING WAS FOR A PART 135 CHKRIDE. THE LAST CHKRIDE WAS IN OPPOSITE SEATS. THE PLT IN THE R SEAT WAS REVIEWING PROCS FOR A LNDG WHEN THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. WE CONTACTED THE MECH BY RADIO. THE OTHER PLT HAS SIMILAR TOTAL TIME BUT HAS MORE THAN A THOUSAND MORE HRS IN SINGLE-ENG ACFT THAN I. HE ALSO HAS MORE TIME IN TYPE. HE ACTED AS PIC WHILE I BECAME A PAX AND MOVED TO THE REAR SEAT. I ALSO OUTWEIGH HIM BY 50 LBS WHICH HELPED MOVE THE CTR OF GRAVITY AFT. DURING OUR RADIO CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER MECH; THE EMER EQUIP WAS NOTIFIED. WHILE HE LEFT THE TFC PATTERN TO TRY EXTENDING THE GEAR; ANOTHER ACFT HAD A NOSEGEAR COLLAPSE; AND THE EQUIP RESPONDED. USE OF THE RWY WAS RESTR TO US. THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLR OF THE RWY. ANOTHER MECH WHO HAD BEEN LISTENING ON THE RADIO AND WAS AT THE SCENE WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT HOW EASILY THE GEAR EXTENDED WHEN SOMEONE BANGED IT. HIS PRELIMINARY GUESS WAS THAT ICE WAS THE CAUSE. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THESE MECHS ARE PREDISPOSED TO LOOK FOR A CAUSE; FIX IT; THEN RELEASE THE ACFT WITHOUT LOOKING FOR OTHER POSSIBLE PROBS UNTIL THE ACFT COMES BACK. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SAVING TIME AND MONEY.