Narrative:

I recently flew my small aircraft to the new orleans lakefront airport. The DME ceased to function while en route. On 3/mon/90, I contacted the local FBO avionics department in person, to get it repaired before I left on 3/fri/90. I was told they had one avionics man and his week was nearly filled, but they would try to get at it. I received a phone call on 3/wed/90 from the service manager informing me that while the avionics man was working it, the door had blown off the aircraft. They had ordered new hinges and anticipated receiving them on fri. I was further informed that it would take approximately 3 hours to reinstall the door. When I arrived fri, the aircraft was in shambles. After waiting until late P.M., I gave up for the day and also accepted the fact that when I did leave, it would be west/O a functioning DME and RNAV. On sat I returned expecting to be able to leave. The door was still not properly installed. Finally, by late afternoon, I was able to leave (west/O some of the finishing painting). I filed IFR for FL180 to tul. While climbing through 4000 ft I believe I detected wind noise around the door and noticed that the cabin altitude was climbing at nearly the same rate as the aircraft. I tried opening and closing the window and relocking the door. This seemed to increase the wind noise. The #2 navigation radio was not functioning properly. I decided to land at a nearby airport and sort out the problems. I asked center for 12000 ft altitude and pulled back on the power to decrease airspeed (I didn't want to lose the door in flight) and requested a revised flight plan to the natchez-adams county airport, natchez, ms, which was approved. I broke out of the clouds about 4000 ft MSL and continued on the approach. As I was out of radar contact I cancelled my IFR flight and continued VFR. I called 3 times on the unicom frequency for airport advisories west/O a response. I had the surface winds from center and checked the windsock as I entered and announced downwind for runway 17. I announced my turns to base and final and was surveying the field for a place to park and shut down. As I was about to make my last 'I have a green light' announcement to myself, I heard someone call, 'small aircraft on final, your gear is not down.' the green light was not on but I was also not receiving the gear warning horn. I cycled the gear down, thought I heard it lock, continued the approach and landed. As the plane rolled down the runway the nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the pavement and the aircraft skidded to a stop. I have approximately 2300 hours retractable time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR COLLAPSES ON SMA WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS.

Narrative: I RECENTLY FLEW MY SMA TO THE NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT ARPT. THE DME CEASED TO FUNCTION WHILE ENRTE. ON 3/MON/90, I CONTACTED THE LCL FBO AVIONICS DEPT IN PERSON, TO GET IT REPAIRED BEFORE I LEFT ON 3/FRI/90. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD ONE AVIONICS MAN AND HIS WK WAS NEARLY FILLED, BUT THEY WOULD TRY TO GET AT IT. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL ON 3/WED/90 FROM THE SVC MGR INFORMING ME THAT WHILE THE AVIONICS MAN WAS WORKING IT, THE DOOR HAD BLOWN OFF THE ACFT. THEY HAD ORDERED NEW HINGES AND ANTICIPATED RECEIVING THEM ON FRI. I WAS FURTHER INFORMED THAT IT WOULD TAKE APPROX 3 HRS TO REINSTALL THE DOOR. WHEN I ARRIVED FRI, THE ACFT WAS IN SHAMBLES. AFTER WAITING UNTIL LATE P.M., I GAVE UP FOR THE DAY AND ALSO ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT WHEN I DID LEAVE, IT WOULD BE W/O A FUNCTIONING DME AND RNAV. ON SAT I RETURNED EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE. THE DOOR WAS STILL NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED. FINALLY, BY LATE AFTERNOON, I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE (W/O SOME OF THE FINISHING PAINTING). I FILED IFR FOR FL180 TO TUL. WHILE CLBING THROUGH 4000 FT I BELIEVE I DETECTED WIND NOISE AROUND THE DOOR AND NOTICED THAT THE CABIN ALT WAS CLBING AT NEARLY THE SAME RATE AS THE ACFT. I TRIED OPENING AND CLOSING THE WINDOW AND RELOCKING THE DOOR. THIS SEEMED TO INCREASE THE WIND NOISE. THE #2 NAV RADIO WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I DECIDED TO LAND AT A NEARBY ARPT AND SORT OUT THE PROBS. I ASKED CENTER FOR 12000 FT ALT AND PULLED BACK ON THE PWR TO DECREASE AIRSPD (I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THE DOOR IN FLT) AND REQUESTED A REVISED FLT PLAN TO THE NATCHEZ-ADAMS COUNTY ARPT, NATCHEZ, MS, WHICH WAS APPROVED. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS ABOUT 4000 FT MSL AND CONTINUED ON THE APCH. AS I WAS OUT OF RADAR CONTACT I CANCELLED MY IFR FLT AND CONTINUED VFR. I CALLED 3 TIMES ON THE UNICOM FREQ FOR ARPT ADVISORIES W/O A RESPONSE. I HAD THE SURFACE WINDS FROM CENTER AND CHKED THE WINDSOCK AS I ENTERED AND ANNOUNCED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17. I ANNOUNCED MY TURNS TO BASE AND FINAL AND WAS SURVEYING THE FIELD FOR A PLACE TO PARK AND SHUT DOWN. AS I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE MY LAST 'I HAVE A GREEN LIGHT' ANNOUNCEMENT TO MYSELF, I HEARD SOMEONE CALL, 'SMA ON FINAL, YOUR GEAR IS NOT DOWN.' THE GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT ON BUT I WAS ALSO NOT RECEIVING THE GEAR WARNING HORN. I CYCLED THE GEAR DOWN, THOUGHT I HEARD IT LOCK, CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED. AS THE PLANE ROLLED DOWN THE RWY THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE PROP STRUCK THE PAVEMENT AND THE ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP. I HAVE APPROX 2300 HRS RETRACTABLE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.