FAILURE OF NOSE STEERING RODS ON C172 RESULTS IN LOSS OF CTL ON LNDG. RESULTING DAMAGE WAS L WINGTIP AND A PROP STRIKE.

Narrative

THOROUGH PREFLT -- ALL LOOKED GOOD. TOOK OFF FROM MLU AT XA41 -- NO PROBS. VFR SIGHT-SEEING OVER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND RETURNED TO MLU. COMPLETED PRELNDG CHKLIST AND MADE NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 22. I LANDED ON MAIN WHEELS AT ABOUT 50 MPH. ABOUT 3 OR 4 SECONDS AFTER NOSEWHEEL SAT DOWN; THE NOSEWHEEL STARTED TO SHIMMY LIGHTLY. I TRIED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO STOP THE SHIMMY; BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. ALL OF A SUDDEN. THE NOSEWHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE MUCH HARDER. I APPLIED BRAKES AT THIS POINT. A FEW MOMENTS LATER; THE PLANE MADE A HARD R; WHILE TILTING TO THE R. THE L WINGTIP TOUCHED THE RWY. THE PROP STRUCK ALSO. THE ACFT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS ON THE RWY BUT 90 DEGS TO THE R OF NORMAL TRAVEL. NEITHER ME NOR MY PAX WERE INJURED. I QUICKLY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND PWR. WE EXITED THE ACFT AT ONCE. I DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING RODS AND DAMPNER HAD BROKEN. (THIS WAS A GENTLE LNDG.) MINOR L WINGTIP AND PROP DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO PARKING AND IS TO BE REPAIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THE GEAR DID NOT COLLAPSE. THE SHARP TURN RESULTING FROM THE NOSEWHEEL AT 90 DEGS WAS SO QUICK THAT THE R MAIN GEAR CAME OFF THE GND RESULTING IN L WINGTIP AND PROP CONTACT WITH THE RWY BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.