Narrative:

Shortly after landing (200 ft) on runway 5 at north little rock airport, while still rolling on centerline the aircraft suddenly dipped forward and to the right. My immediate reaction was to pull the nose up and add power. These actions brought the aircraft back into the air and was now over the grassy area to the right (east) of the runway headed for a hill lined with trees. At this point I asked xyz 'which engine is it?' being pretty sure it was the left one because of the right dip and the amount of left rudder required to keep the aircraft right side up. Simultaneously I reached for and raised the gear lever noting that I still had 3 green lights and then raised the flaps. Xyz said that both engines were indicating full power which I confirmed from the instruments. At this time we are flying parallel to runway 5 and 150 ft AGL. I asked xyz once again 'which engine is it?, it feels like the right one.' he looked over his shoulder and noted smoke from the right engine. I immediately feathered the right engine and cut off the mixture. At that time we were above blue line and climbing at 500-600 FPM. I instructed xyz several times while flying a left hand pattern to announce to everyone that we had an emergency and would be landing back on runway 5. While turning base I lowered the gear believing that I wouldn't get 3 green again because we didn't have a right main landing gear or tire. I turned final and did have 3 green which was confirmed by xyz and an instructor on the ground who announced that we had three down. I landed the aircraft without further incident and taxied to the ramp on the left engine. After exiting the aircraft and looking at the right engine someone said aloud 'look at the left propeller' at which time I walked to the left side of the aircraft and noticed that the left propeller was also q-tipped, I was shocked since I had no indication of any problem with the left engine or propeller. From what I can tell it appears that the nose gear must have lowered for both propellers to strike. I believe that the maintenance done the 3 days before involving removing and repairing the nose gear strut is at fault. I think that the strut was not put back in properly. Callback information from reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the nose gear downlock is suspect as the cause of this incident, however the aircraft was not jacked and the gear retracted to check the downlock. The reporter said when the gear was repaired recently the manufacturer's maintenance manual was not used in the repair. The reporter stated the FAA has looked at the aircraft but has made no comment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA23-250 ON LNDG ROLLOUT HAD THE ACFT SUDDENLY DIP FORWARD INCURRING DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPS. RPTR SUSPECTS CAUSE OF DIP WAS IMPROPER NOSE GEAR WORK ACCOMPLISHED 3 DAYS PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LNDG (200 FT) ON RWY 5 AT NORTH LITTLE ROCK ARPT, WHILE STILL ROLLING ON CTRLINE THE ACFT SUDDENLY DIPPED FORWARD AND TO THE R. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PULL THE NOSE UP AND ADD PWR. THESE ACTIONS BROUGHT THE ACFT BACK INTO THE AIR AND WAS NOW OVER THE GRASSY AREA TO THE R (E) OF THE RWY HEADED FOR A HILL LINED WITH TREES. AT THIS POINT I ASKED XYZ 'WHICH ENG IS IT?' BEING PRETTY SURE IT WAS THE L ONE BECAUSE OF THE R DIP AND THE AMOUNT OF L RUDDER REQUIRED TO KEEP THE ACFT RIGHT SIDE UP. SIMULTANEOUSLY I REACHED FOR AND RAISED THE GEAR LEVER NOTING THAT I STILL HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND THEN RAISED THE FLAPS. XYZ SAID THAT BOTH ENGS WERE INDICATING FULL PWR WHICH I CONFIRMED FROM THE INSTS. AT THIS TIME WE ARE FLYING PARALLEL TO RWY 5 AND 150 FT AGL. I ASKED XYZ ONCE AGAIN 'WHICH ENG IS IT?, IT FEELS LIKE THE R ONE.' HE LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER AND NOTED SMOKE FROM THE R ENG. I IMMEDIATELY FEATHERED THE R ENG AND CUT OFF THE MIXTURE. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ABOVE BLUE LINE AND CLBING AT 500-600 FPM. I INSTRUCTED XYZ SEVERAL TIMES WHILE FLYING A L HAND PATTERN TO ANNOUNCE TO EVERYONE THAT WE HAD AN EMER AND WOULD BE LNDG BACK ON RWY 5. WHILE TURNING BASE I LOWERED THE GEAR BELIEVING THAT I WOULDN'T GET 3 GREEN AGAIN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A R MAIN LNDG GEAR OR TIRE. I TURNED FINAL AND DID HAVE 3 GREEN WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY XYZ AND AN INSTRUCTOR ON THE GND WHO ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAD THREE DOWN. I LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP ON THE L ENG. AFTER EXITING THE ACFT AND LOOKING AT THE R ENG SOMEONE SAID ALOUD 'LOOK AT THE L PROP' AT WHICH TIME I WALKED TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND NOTICED THAT THE L PROP WAS ALSO Q-TIPPED, I WAS SHOCKED SINCE I HAD NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB WITH THE L ENG OR PROP. FROM WHAT I CAN TELL IT APPEARS THAT THE NOSE GEAR MUST HAVE LOWERED FOR BOTH PROPS TO STRIKE. I BELIEVE THAT THE MAINT DONE THE 3 DAYS BEFORE INVOLVING REMOVING AND REPAIRING THE NOSE GEAR STRUT IS AT FAULT. I THINK THAT THE STRUT WAS NOT PUT BACK IN PROPERLY. CALLBACK INFO FROM RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE NOSE GEAR DOWNLOCK IS SUSPECT AS THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER THE ACFT WAS NOT JACKED AND THE GEAR RETRACTED TO CHK THE DOWNLOCK. THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE GEAR WAS REPAIRED RECENTLY THE MANUFACTURER'S MAINT MANUAL WAS NOT USED IN THE REPAIR. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA HAS LOOKED AT THE ACFT BUT HAS MADE NO COMMENT.

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.