Narrative:

The FAA designated pilot examiner and I had just completed my chkride for the addition of a multi-engine instrument rating to my commercial certificate. The aircraft being flown was an small aircraft. We touched down normally at about 78-80 KTS and rolled approximately 400 ft when the nose gear collapsed. I kept the aircraft on the runway centerline and secured the engines, fuel, and electrical system while we rolled to a stop. We both exited the aircraft with no injuries. We looked into part 830 of the NTSB regulations and determined this to be an 'incident.' damage was limited to the propeller blades, landing gear doors, nose cone and the nose gear itself. It was my determination that this was an 'incident' and not an 'accident' and therefore did not require 'immediate' notification. I did plan on notifying the FAA and/or NTSB within the 10 days specified, however, I was waiting to hear back from an aviation attorney as to how to approach this. I wanted to make sure everything was handled properly, particularly in light of all of the horror stories I read in aviation pubs relating to the FAA as prosector, judge and jury. The nose gear collapsed due to a cracked bolt and the FAA examiner has attested to the landing as being a 'good one.' I was awarded my new rating despite the incident and was told that I did an excellent job handling the situation. The problem is that my examiner was phoned today by the local FSDO and chastised for not reporting the incident. I spoke with the FSDO today and am worried about not reporting this event in a more timely manner. The gentleman at the FSDO said this delay in reporting makes the situation look 'fishy.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED DURING LNDG ROLL ON SMA TWIN ENG TRAINING ACFT DUE TO A CRACKED BOLT DURING A PLT MULTI ENG CERTIFICATION CHK RIDE.

Narrative: THE FAA DESIGNATED PLT EXAMINER AND I HAD JUST COMPLETED MY CHKRIDE FOR THE ADDITION OF A MULTI-ENG INST RATING TO MY COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE. THE ACFT BEING FLOWN WAS AN SMA. WE TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY AT ABOUT 78-80 KTS AND ROLLED APPROX 400 FT WHEN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. I KEPT THE ACFT ON THE RWY CTRLINE AND SECURED THE ENGS, FUEL, AND ELECTRICAL SYS WHILE WE ROLLED TO A STOP. WE BOTH EXITED THE ACFT WITH NO INJURIES. WE LOOKED INTO PART 830 OF THE NTSB REGS AND DETERMINED THIS TO BE AN 'INCIDENT.' DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE PROP BLADES, LNDG GEAR DOORS, NOSE CONE AND THE NOSE GEAR ITSELF. IT WAS MY DETERMINATION THAT THIS WAS AN 'INCIDENT' AND NOT AN 'ACCIDENT' AND THEREFORE DID NOT REQUIRE 'IMMEDIATE' NOTIFICATION. I DID PLAN ON NOTIFYING THE FAA AND/OR NTSB WITHIN THE 10 DAYS SPECIFIED, HOWEVER, I WAS WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM AN AVIATION ATTORNEY AS TO HOW TO APCH THIS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED PROPERLY, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE HORROR STORIES I READ IN AVIATION PUBS RELATING TO THE FAA AS PROSECTOR, JUDGE AND JURY. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DUE TO A CRACKED BOLT AND THE FAA EXAMINER HAS ATTESTED TO THE LNDG AS BEING A 'GOOD ONE.' I WAS AWARDED MY NEW RATING DESPITE THE INCIDENT AND WAS TOLD THAT I DID AN EXCELLENT JOB HANDLING THE SIT. THE PROB IS THAT MY EXAMINER WAS PHONED TODAY BY THE LCL FSDO AND CHASTISED FOR NOT RPTING THE INCIDENT. I SPOKE WITH THE FSDO TODAY AND AM WORRIED ABOUT NOT RPTING THIS EVENT IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER. THE GENTLEMAN AT THE FSDO SAID THIS DELAY IN RPTING MAKES THE SIT LOOK 'FISHY.'

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.