C172 NOSEWHEEL SEPARATED FROM STRUT YOKE RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE DURING LNDG.

Narrative

UPON LNDG; THE NOSEWHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE STRUT YOKE AND THE ACFT NOSE DSNDED SUFFICIENTLY TO ALLOW THE PROP TO STRIKE THE GND UNTIL THE ENG WAS STOPPED. THE BRAKES WERE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED AND THE ACFT BROUGHT TO A SAFE STOP WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PIC OR SINGLE NON-PLT PAX. DURING THIS TIME THE ACFT NOSE DRAGGED ALONG THE GND ON THE BROKEN STRUT YOKE. THE PIC RADIOED THE LCL TFC THAT THE ACFT WAS DISABLED AND THAT THE RWY WAS BLOCKED. THE PIC SECURED THE ACFT BY ENSURING ALL PWR WAS OFF AND MOVED THE MIXTURE TO FULL LEAN. BOTH THE PIC AND PAX EXITED THE ACFT AND STEPPED AWAY TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE. SEVERAL NEIGHBORS CAME TO THE SCENE TO ENSURE EVERYONE WAS SAFE AND ASSISTED IN REMOVING THE ACFT FROM THE RWY TO A GRASSY PARKING AREA. THEY THEN POLICED THE RWY FOR DEBRIS AND RETURNED IT TO THE PIC WHO REMAINED WITH THE ACFT. THE PIC TURNED ON THE MASTER SWITCH TO RAISE THE FLAPS FROM THE 20 DEGS POS TO FULLY RETRACTED IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEM DURING FURTHER HANDLING OF THE ACFT. THE FBO CAME TO THE SCENE AND REMOVED THE ACFT TO A HANGAR FOR FURTHER EVAL AND INSPECTION. THE PIC HAD CHOSEN TO 'GAR' DURING THE INITIAL LNDG ATTEMPT. THE ACFT HAD PROGRESSED HALFWAY DOWN THE 3000 FT RWY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AND BOUNCED HIGH. APPLYING FULL PWR; THE ACFT EASILY CLRED OBSTRUCTIONS AT THE END OF THE RWY AND THE PIC RETURNED TO THE TFC PATTERN FOR LNDG. THE ACFT LANDED APPROX 100 FT BEYOND THE RWY NUMBERS AT 65 MPH AND 20 DEGS OF FLAPS. THE PIC FELT THE MAIN GEAR DOWN BEFORE LOWERING THE NOSE AND WAS CONFIDENT THE ACFT WAS LANDED SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY. FULL STOP TOOK NO MORE THAN 300 FT DUE TO THE DRAGGING ON THE NOSE YOKE. THE PIC HAD COMPLETED HIS CHKOUT AND BFR ON THE SAME TYPE ACFT; C172; WITHIN THE PAST 90 DAYS. DURING THIS TIME HE RECEIVED 5 HRS DUAL INSTRUCTION AND COMPLETED 25 TKOFS AND LNDGS.