Nose gear of atx small aircraft collapsed after landing.

Attributes
ACN	106081
Time
Date	198903
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dec
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mci
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1480
ASRS Report	106081
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon applying the brakes on rollout at decatur airport, the nosewheel collapsed. The aircraft was examined by an ia from a decatur FBO, and the FAA the next morning. They found that the a-frame that holds the nose wheel to the fuselage was cracked, and probably had a crack in it for some time. Although it wasn't visible to the naked eye because of dirt and oil that had accumulated on the strut. The FAA deemed it an incident. The situation could have been avoided by very close inspection of the a-frame nose gear mounting by a mechanic that has cleaned the strut with solvent beforehand. Aircraft was a 1978 small aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR OF ATX SMA COLLAPSED AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES ON ROLLOUT AT DECATUR ARPT, THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED. THE ACFT WAS EXAMINED BY AN IA FROM A DECATUR FBO, AND THE FAA THE NEXT MORNING. THEY FOUND THAT THE A-FRAME THAT HOLDS THE NOSE WHEEL TO THE FUSELAGE WAS CRACKED, AND PROBABLY HAD A CRACK IN IT FOR SOME TIME. ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE BECAUSE OF DIRT AND OIL THAT HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE STRUT. THE FAA DEEMED IT AN INCIDENT. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY VERY CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE A-FRAME NOSE GEAR MOUNTING BY A MECHANIC THAT HAS CLEANED THE STRUT WITH SOLVENT BEFOREHAND. ACFT WAS A 1978 SMA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.