A PIPER PA23 ON LNDG HAD THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT CAUSED BY A FAILED NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK MECHANISM.

Narrative

ON APCH TO VRB; THE GEAR DOWN WAS SELECTED. WHEN THE GEAR REACHED THE DOWN POS; VERIFICATION OF THE GREEN INDICATION LIGHTS SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. HOWEVER; THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A MIRROR LOCATED ON THE L ENG COWL FOR VISUAL REF TO THE NOSE GEAR. VISUAL REF SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NORMALLY EXTENDED. I THEN DECIDED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR TO TROUBLESHOOT THE SIT. AS THE GEAR DOWN WAS SELECTED AGAIN; THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT AGAIN DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AGAIN; VISUAL REF TO THE NOSE GEAR MIRROR SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NORMALLY EXTENDED. AT THIS POINT IT WAS DECIDED TO CHK THE OP OF THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT BULB. WE REMOVED THE LIGHT BULB AND REPLACED IT WITH A WORKING BULB FROM THE MAIN GEAR. AS THE BULB WAS PUT INTO PLACE; THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT CAME ON AS VERIFIED BY THE 3 PEOPLE ABOARD THE ACFT. AFTER AGAIN VISUALLY CHKING THE NOSE GEAR IN THE MIRROR; WE CONCLUDED THAT THE BULB WAS INOP. WE AGAIN VISUALLY CHKED THE GREEN LIGHTS BEFORE LNDG IN WHICH THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED; AND AGAIN CHKED THE MIRROR IN WHICH ALL WAS INDICATING NORMAL. A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN WAS EXECUTED. WE LANDED SOFTLY ON THE MAIN WHEELS FIRST. THE CTLRS IN THE TWR VERIFIED A NORMAL LNDG. AS THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS LOWERED; WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED THE GND IT FOLDED BACKWARDS TOWARD THE RETRACT POS AND THE NOSE CONE CONTACTED THE RWY. BOTH PROPS STRUCK THE RWY AND WERE DAMAGED. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP DOWN THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY; THEN THE EMER PROCS WERE EXECUTED AND WE EVACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK MECHANISM WAS FOUND TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND DID NOT CLASSIFY IT AS AN ACCIDENT.