A PA44 ON LNDG HAD THE NOSE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. CAUSED BY OVER CTR DOWNLOCK BOLT FAILURE.

Narrative

PIPER SEMINOLE X WAS ON SIMULATED SINGLE ENG VFR PRACTICE APCH INTO ZZZ. AT THE DECISION ALT (349 FT MSL); THE STUDENT WENT VISUAL AND PROCEEDED TO PUT THE GEAR INTO THE 'DOWN' POS. A MOMENT LATER; ZZZ TWR XMITTED 'SEMINOLE X; YOUR GEAR; OH; I SEE IT COMING DOWN NOW.' THEN THE STUDENT CALLED 3 GREEN FOLLOWED BY THE INSTRUCTOR VERIFICATION THAT THERE WAS 3 GREEN. THE INSTRUCTOR FOLLOWED BY CALLING THE TWR 'ZZZ TWR; SEMINOLE X; WE WERE ON A SIMULATED SINGLE ENG ILS; AND WE DON'T PUT THE GEAR DOWN UNTIL LNDG IS ENSURED.' THE INSTRUCTOR GLANCED ONE LAST TIME TO THE GEAR LIGHTS AND CALLED OUT 'GEAR DOWN 3 GREEN.' THE STUDENT PROCEEDED WITH THE LNDG AND TOUCHED DOWN TAIL LOW WITH MAIN LNDG GEAR FIRST; FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY THE NOSEWHEEL. THE NOSEWHEEL SUPPORTED THE AIRPLANE MOMENTARILY; AND STARTED TO GIVE WAY; EXPOSING AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF RWY IN THE PLT'S FIELD OF VISION. THE NOSE CONE TOUCHED AND THE AIRPLANE GNDED TO A HALT. THE STUDENT ADVISED ATC THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES; AS THE INSTRUCTOR SECURED THE ELECTRICAL SYS AND FUEL SYS. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT THEN EVACED THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE WAS CAUSED BY THE OVER-CTR DOWNLOCK BOLT FAILURE. THIS BOLT WAS THE SUBJECT OF A MANUFACTURER'S SVC BULLETIN; BUT THE RPTR HAS NO KNOWLEDGE IF THE SVC BULLETIN WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON THIS AIRPLANE.