Narrative:

I was left seat instructor. Student was flying the plane from the right seat. Student was performing a short field, 50 ft obstacle landing. I had just demonstrated one on the takeoff and landing prior. He set up a stabilized power-on approach to clear the 50 ft obstacle. As he flew I verbalized the next step. I reiterated to him that in the transition from approach to flare he would need a little bit more power than normal in order to reduce the sink rate to make a safe landing. As the instructor, my hand was on the power quadrant. His hand on the throttles, my hand below his on the throttle shafts. As he cleared the obstacle he chopped the power instead of adding power. I added power to reduce the sink rate. His hand resisted a little and prevented me from getting all the power I wanted but I was able to arrest the sink rate and make a firm landing. The mains touched down, then I chopped the power, then the nosewheel touched. The nosewheel continued on through as it collapsed. The landing was not hard or excessive. It was not, in my opinion, firm enough to cause the collapse. I suspect mechanical failure. The nose gear had had some work done on it in jan/93 (only a few takeoffs and lndgs ago). Also, these small aircraft's have a nose gear collapsing problem. I do not know the cause at this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HARD LNDG, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSES ON LNDG PROC.

Narrative: I WAS L SEAT INSTRUCTOR. STUDENT WAS FLYING THE PLANE FROM THE R SEAT. STUDENT WAS PERFORMING A SHORT FIELD, 50 FT OBSTACLE LNDG. I HAD JUST DEMONSTRATED ONE ON THE TKOF AND LNDG PRIOR. HE SET UP A STABILIZED PWR-ON APCH TO CLR THE 50 FT OBSTACLE. AS HE FLEW I VERBALIZED THE NEXT STEP. I REITERATED TO HIM THAT IN THE TRANSITION FROM APCH TO FLARE HE WOULD NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE PWR THAN NORMAL IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE SINK RATE TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. AS THE INSTRUCTOR, MY HAND WAS ON THE PWR QUADRANT. HIS HAND ON THE THROTTLES, MY HAND BELOW HIS ON THE THROTTLE SHAFTS. AS HE CLRED THE OBSTACLE HE CHOPPED THE PWR INSTEAD OF ADDING PWR. I ADDED PWR TO REDUCE THE SINK RATE. HIS HAND RESISTED A LITTLE AND PREVENTED ME FROM GETTING ALL THE PWR I WANTED BUT I WAS ABLE TO ARREST THE SINK RATE AND MAKE A FIRM LNDG. THE MAINS TOUCHED DOWN, THEN I CHOPPED THE PWR, THEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED. THE NOSEWHEEL CONTINUED ON THROUGH AS IT COLLAPSED. THE LNDG WAS NOT HARD OR EXCESSIVE. IT WAS NOT, IN MY OPINION, FIRM ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE COLLAPSE. I SUSPECT MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE NOSE GEAR HAD HAD SOME WORK DONE ON IT IN JAN/93 (ONLY A FEW TKOFS AND LNDGS AGO). ALSO, THESE SMA'S HAVE A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSING PROB. I DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE AT THIS 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.