GA SMA LANDED NOSE GEAR FIRST CAUSING NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND DAMAGING THE PROPELLER.
Synopsis
GA SMA LANDED NOSE GEAR FIRST CAUSING NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND DAMAGING THE PROPELLER.
Narrative
IN 4/88 I TOOK OFF FROM TORRANCE; CA; ARPT FLYING AT 9500' AND 11500'. I WAS COMPLETING MY FLT 5 HRS LATER AT COS. IT WAS A CLEAR DAY. WIND WAS NOT A PROB. I CALLED APCH CTL 20 MI S. I HAD THE ATIS AND WAS LNDG RWY 35. I SQUAWKED THE PROPER CODE; IDENT AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. APCH GAVE ME AN 070 DEG HDG FOR SPACING AND I REDUCED AIR SPD. LATER I WAS GIVEN 360 DEG HDG AND THEN 250 DEG HDG. APCH CTL STATED; 'ACFT AT YOUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. LNDG COS.' I WAS FACING A BRIGHT; BRIGHT SETTING SUN AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I DID NOT HAVE MY TFC. I WAS NEXT TOLD 'TFC NO FACTOR; DO YOU HAVE ARPT IN SIGHT?' I ACKNOWLEDGED 'ARPT IN SIGHT;' AND WAS 'CLRED TO LAND; CONTACT TWR.' I DUMPED MY GEAR TURNED TO THE ARPT; CONTACTED TWR AND WAS CLRED. I WAS STILL AT 9500' SINCE I DID HAVE MY PREVIOUS TFC IN SIGHT. I REDUCED ALL PWR AND WENT THROUGH GUMP. AS I INCREASED SPD I DROPPED FULL FLAPS. I KNEW I HAD AN 11000' RWY BUT WANTED THE T/D AT THE FIRST THIRD. AS I CLOSED WITH THE GND AND RWY I TRIMMED MY ACFT BACK. HOWEVER ON PLACING MY ACFT ON RWY 35 I HIT THE NOSE WHEEL FIRST; PORPOISED; AND ON RETURNING TO THE RWY SURFACE MY NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED. I WENT FORWARD; APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE HOPING TO CLR THE RWY. I ENDED UP IN THE DIRT. WHEN 'CLRED TO LAND;' I PERCEIVED I COULD LAND THE ACFT SAFELY. THE FACT IS I DID NOT--THERE WERE NO INJURIES. MY PERCEPTION OF THE GND FROM 9500 AND 11500' FOR 5 HRS BECAME VERY MUCH DIFFERENT AS I CLOSED WITH THE GND. THE BRIGHT SUN IN MY EYES FOR ABOUT 5 MINS ALSO CHANGED MY PERCEPTION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.