Narrative:

I was cleared to land runway 33L at boston logan, by bos approach. I was on a 4 mi left base for runway 33L when I contacted bos tower. After contacting the tower I reached for the gear handle, and put it in down position. I then heard a loud bang noise from the nose and I only got 2 green lights. Main gear only. I checked the bulb for the nose gear and found that working. After recycling the gear 2 times the nose gear still wouldn't come down. I then asked the tower for a right 270 degree to try to retract the gear manually. After completing the emergency gear extension checklist, I still had no nose gear indication. I then asked the tower for a flyby, in case the gear was down. After flying by the tower, the controller told me the nose gear was down, but he couldn't say if it was locked or not. He then cleared me to land at runway 33L. The winds were light so I asked the controller if he wanted an other runway, so they didn't have to close the airport. He cleared me to land at 4L. When I crossed threshold I feathered both propellers to save the engine, and closed the throttles and mixture. I landed on both mains held the nose up as long as I could. Soft field landing technique. When the nose and the propellers hit the ground, we skidded approximately 100 ft before stopping. I was on the centerline all the time. The damage was 2 out of the 3 blades bent, and the front of the nose was scraped. I do not have the report of what actually caused this incident. To get the gear down, using the emergency system, you have to 'crank' it down. You only bypass the motor. I think that if the emergency system had its own linkage, I could have landed with the nose gear down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WHEN ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM MALFUNCTION OF NOSE LNDG GEAR CREATES AN EMER SITUATION.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 33L AT BOSTON LOGAN, BY BOS APCH. I WAS ON A 4 MI L BASE FOR RWY 33L WHEN I CONTACTED BOS TWR. AFTER CONTACTING THE TWR I REACHED FOR THE GEAR HANDLE, AND PUT IT IN DOWN POS. I THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG NOISE FROM THE NOSE AND I ONLY GOT 2 GREEN LIGHTS. MAIN GEAR ONLY. I CHKED THE BULB FOR THE NOSE GEAR AND FOUND THAT WORKING. AFTER RECYCLING THE GEAR 2 TIMES THE NOSE GEAR STILL WOULDN'T COME DOWN. I THEN ASKED THE TWR FOR A R 270 DEG TO TRY TO RETRACT THE GEAR MANUALLY. AFTER COMPLETING THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION CHKLIST, I STILL HAD NO NOSE GEAR INDICATION. I THEN ASKED THE TWR FOR A FLYBY, IN CASE THE GEAR WAS DOWN. AFTER FLYING BY THE TWR, THE CTLR TOLD ME THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN, BUT HE COULDN'T SAY IF IT WAS LOCKED OR NOT. HE THEN CLRED ME TO LAND AT RWY 33L. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT SO I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE WANTED AN OTHER RWY, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO CLOSE THE ARPT. HE CLRED ME TO LAND AT 4L. WHEN I CROSSED THRESHOLD I FEATHERED BOTH PROPS TO SAVE THE ENG, AND CLOSED THE THROTTLES AND MIXTURE. I LANDED ON BOTH MAINS HELD THE NOSE UP AS LONG AS I COULD. SOFT FIELD LNDG TECHNIQUE. WHEN THE NOSE AND THE PROPS HIT THE GND, WE SKIDDED APPROX 100 FT BEFORE STOPPING. I WAS ON THE CENTERLINE ALL THE TIME. THE DAMAGE WAS 2 OUT OF THE 3 BLADES BENT, AND THE FRONT OF THE NOSE WAS SCRAPED. I DO NOT HAVE THE RPT OF WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. TO GET THE GEAR DOWN, USING THE EMER SYS, YOU HAVE TO 'CRANK' IT DOWN. YOU ONLY BYPASS THE MOTOR. I THINK THAT IF THE EMER SYS HAD ITS OWN LINKAGE, I COULD HAVE LANDED WITH THE NOSE GEAR DOWN.

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.