A PA34-220T ON FINAL APCH AT 50 FT ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR DOWNDRAFT. ACFT TOUCHED DOWN BEFORE THE RWY THRESHOLD AND ON ROLLOUT THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.

Narrative

ON JUL/XX/97; MYSELF AND ANOTHER COMPANY EMPLOYEE WERE DISPATCHED ON A PART 91 FLT TO HONESDALE; PA; CHERRY RIDGE ARPT (N30). AT ABOUT XA15 LCL TIME; WE APCHED CHERRY RIDGE ARPT. THE WILKES-BARRE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 29.94; THE SKY WAS CLR AND THE WIND WAS FROM 340 DEGS AT 12 KTS. WE OVERFLEW THE FIELD ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT AND WE VISUALLY DETERMINED THAT THE NW ORIENTED RWY WAS SUITABLE FOR OUR LNDG. WE PERFORMED ALL THE NECESSARY COMS AND WE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC OBSERVED ON THE ARPT; TFC PATTERN OR APCHING. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG WE PERFORMED OUR LNDG CHKLIST INCLUDING LNDG GEAR EXTENSION; VERIFIED BY THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS AS WELL AS VISUALLY ON THE MIRROR PROVIDED FOR SUCH PURPOSE. AS WE TURNED ON THE FINAL LEG WE ACCOMPLISHED THE FINAL CHK WHICH INCLUDED MIXTURES AND PROPS FULL FORWARD AND LNDG GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED VERIFICATION; CONFIRMED BY 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND AN OUTSIDE VISUAL INDICATION. SINCE THE APCH TO CHERRY RIDGE ARPT DICTATES A SHORT FIELD LNDG PROC; WE ESTABLISHED THE APPROPRIATE CONFIGN AND FLEW THE APCH PROFILE: 87 KIAS WITH 40 DEGS OF FLAPS AND APPROX 600-700 FPM DSCNT. AS WE PASSED THE TREE LINE AND ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE THE RWY; WE ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR/DOWNDRAFT AND EVEN THOUGH ADDITIONAL PWR WAS APPLIED ATTEMPTING TO RECOVER; IT CAUSED THE ACFT TO TOUCH DOWN BEFORE THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. AFTER A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN ON BOTH MAIN AND NOSEWHEELS AND DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT; THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT SKIDDED ON THE RWY SURFACE. WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY CTRLINE AND THE ACFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHIN 500 FT AFTER TOUCHDOWN. WE IMMEDIATELY SECURED THE ACFT AND SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES; WE EVACED AND PROCEEDED TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO FUEL OR OIL LEAKS AND THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGES WERE THE PROP BLADE TIPS AND THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE NOSE AROUND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS.