A C402 LNDG IN A RAINSTORM HYDROPLANED OFF THE RWY COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR AND STRIKING A TXWY SIGN.

Narrative

ON JUL/SUN/06 I WAS PIC OF A C402 ON A DAY; VFR; FAR PART 91 FLT. I CONDUCTED A VFR APCH TO ZZZ. THERE WAS A RAIN SHOWER APPROX 2-3 MI N OF THE FIELD MOVING TO THE N AS RPTED BY THE ZZZ CTL TWR; INTENSITY WAS NOT RELAYED. I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT ABOUT 10 MI SE OF THE ARPT. THE RPTED WIND ON THE FIELD WAS FROM THE N TO NW AT 10 KTS. AN ACFT OF SIMILAR SIZE AND SPD HAD LANDED IN FRONT OF ME ON THE SAME RWY LESS THAN 2 MINS BEFORE. NO ADVISORY OR PIREPS WERE GIVEN AS TO THE CONDITION; IE; BRAKING ACTION/RWY CONTAMINATION RPT OF THE RWY SURFACE. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE LNDG USING THE DATA THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO ME. THE APCH WAS NORMAL AND STANDARD VFR APCH PROCS WERE USED. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE WIND DIRECTION SHIFTED FROM THE E WITH VERY STRONG GUSTS AND I ENCOUNTERED VERY HARD RAIN WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN RWY CTRLINE AND HYDROPLANED TO THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. I INITIATED A GAR; BUT WAS STILL UNABLE TO MAINTAIN RWY CTRLINE SO I ABORTED THE GAR IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CTL. THE ACFT HIT A TAXI SIGN ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY SHORTLY AFTER THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY CTRLINE. I SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS AND COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE MEMORY ITEMS AND EMER CHKLISTS BEFORE EXITING THE ACFT.