Narrative:

While being vectored for the runway 13R ILS into austin mueller airport, I shut down the right engine due to engine gauges indicating a loss of oil pressure. I went through the emergency engine failure during flight checklist and the before landing checklist and landed. After landing the nosewheel collapsed. I did note prior to landing normal gear down indications and the gear warning horn did not sound before landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot said that he was on a regular freight run when he noticed a fluctuation in the right engine's oil pressure. The oil pressure then suddenly went to zero and as he started the shutdown procedure the engine seized. He declared an emergency and continued for a single engine landing. As he was in the landing roll the nose gear collapsed and he shut down the left engine, secured the aircraft and exited. The aircraft was towed after pinning the nose gear in the extended position. Maintenance found that the nose gear over center spring was hyper-extended and would not develop much pressure to hold the mechanism in the down and locked position. The lycoming engine case had cracked around the oil filler area according to the reporter. Later, the owner of the company, allegedly, called the piper customer service center and they were familiar with the problem with the over center spring. According to the pilot this spring had failed before, but he does not know if there is an aviation directive concerning this problem. The engine representative inspected the damage and has been in contact with the owner, but the pilot does not know the results of their discussions. The right engine was totally destroyed and the left engine was damaged when its propeller struck the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF AN ATX FREIGHTER PA60 HAD THE R ENG, A LYCOMING O-540, FAIL WHEN THE TOP OF THE ENG CRACKED AROUND THE OIL FILLER AREA. THE PLT MADE A SUCCESSFUL SINGLE ENG LNDG, BUT THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE ROLLOUT. POSTFLT INSPECTION FOUND THAT THE NOSE GEAR OVER CTR SPRING HAD FAILED.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE RWY 13R ILS INTO AUSTIN MUELLER ARPT, I SHUT DOWN THE R ENG DUE TO ENG GAUGES INDICATING A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. I WENT THROUGH THE EMER ENG FAILURE DURING FLT CHKLIST AND THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED. I DID NOTE PRIOR TO LNDG NORMAL GEAR DOWN INDICATIONS AND THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT SOUND BEFORE LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT SAID THAT HE WAS ON A REGULAR FREIGHT RUN WHEN HE NOTICED A FLUCTUATION IN THE R ENG'S OIL PRESSURE. THE OIL PRESSURE THEN SUDDENLY WENT TO ZERO AND AS HE STARTED THE SHUTDOWN PROC THE ENG SEIZED. HE DECLARED AN EMER AND CONTINUED FOR A SINGLE ENG LNDG. AS HE WAS IN THE LNDG ROLL THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND HE SHUT DOWN THE L ENG, SECURED THE ACFT AND EXITED. THE ACFT WAS TOWED AFTER PINNING THE NOSE GEAR IN THE EXTENDED POS. MAINT FOUND THAT THE NOSE GEAR OVER CTR SPRING WAS HYPER-EXTENDED AND WOULD NOT DEVELOP MUCH PRESSURE TO HOLD THE MECHANISM IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS. THE LYCOMING ENG CASE HAD CRACKED AROUND THE OIL FILLER AREA ACCORDING TO THE RPTR. LATER, THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY, ALLEGEDLY, CALLED THE PIPER CUSTOMER SERVICE CTR AND THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM WITH THE OVER CTR SPRING. ACCORDING TO THE PLT THIS SPRING HAD FAILED BEFORE, BUT HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THERE IS AN AVIATION DIRECTIVE CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. THE ENG REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE DAMAGE AND HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE OWNER, BUT THE PLT DOES NOT KNOW THE RESULTS OF THEIR DISCUSSIONS. THE R ENG WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED AND THE L ENG WAS DAMAGED WHEN ITS PROPELLER STRUCK THE RWY.

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.