Nose gear down lock breaks on landing roll.

Attributes
ACN	285262
Time
Date	199410
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 07s
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3770 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	285262
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Went flying in a piper arrow based out of felts field with 2 potential student pilots as passenger. I was demonstrating a landing at deer park airport, wa, and the nose gear of the piper arrow I was flying collapsed! During the landing roll a few seconds after touchdown, after I let pressure off yoke (weight on the nose gear), and started to retract the flaps for a touch-and-go, the nose moved out of over-center and in the direction of retraction. The nose of the aircraft continued to drop until the propeller hit the pavement bending it out of shape and stopping the engine. As soon as I noticed the propeller hit, I yanked back on the yoke and fortunately I had enough airspeed to keep the aircraft's nose off of the ground high enough to let the nose gear fold back out. With the nose folded back out I eased it back down and was able to avoid any damage to the undercarriage. The nose gear stayed deployed -- past the over-center position. Looking in the nose gear well, I noticed a missing, broken part that looked like a latch bar -- the actual down locking lever. Searching the runway we found the broken off part about 30 ft from the touchdown skid marks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK BREAKS ON LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: WENT FLYING IN A PIPER ARROW BASED OUT OF FELTS FIELD WITH 2 POTENTIAL STUDENT PLTS AS PAX. I WAS DEMONSTRATING A LNDG AT DEER PARK ARPT, WA, AND THE NOSE GEAR OF THE PIPER ARROW I WAS FLYING COLLAPSED! DURING THE LNDG ROLL A FEW SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN, AFTER I LET PRESSURE OFF YOKE (WT ON THE NOSE GEAR), AND STARTED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO, THE NOSE MOVED OUT OF OVER-CTR AND IN THE DIRECTION OF RETRACTION. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT CONTINUED TO DROP UNTIL THE PROP HIT THE PAVEMENT BENDING IT OUT OF SHAPE AND STOPPING THE ENG. AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE PROP HIT, I YANKED BACK ON THE YOKE AND FORTUNATELY I HAD ENOUGH AIRSPD TO KEEP THE ACFT'S NOSE OFF OF THE GND HIGH ENOUGH TO LET THE NOSE GEAR FOLD BACK OUT. WITH THE NOSE FOLDED BACK OUT I EASED IT BACK DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID ANY DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE NOSE GEAR STAYED DEPLOYED -- PAST THE OVER-CTR POS. LOOKING IN THE NOSE GEAR WELL, I NOTICED A MISSING, BROKEN PART THAT LOOKED LIKE A LATCH BAR -- THE ACTUAL DOWN LOCKING LEVER. SEARCHING THE RWY WE FOUND THE BROKEN OFF PART ABOUT 30 FT FROM THE TOUCHDOWN SKID MARKS.

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.