Narrative:

Thorough preflight -- all looked good. Took off from mlu at XA41 -- no problems. VFR sight-seeing over mississippi river and returned to mlu. Completed prelndg checklist and made normal landing on runway 22. I landed on main wheels at about 50 mph. About 3 or 4 seconds after nosewheel sat down, the nosewheel started to shimmy lightly. I tried back pressure on the yoke to stop the shimmy, but was not successful. All of a sudden. The nosewheel began to shake much harder. I applied brakes at this point. A few moments later, the plane made a hard right, while tilting to the right. The left wingtip touched the runway. The propeller struck also. The aircraft stopped immediately. It was on the runway but 90 degrees to the right of normal travel. Neither me nor my passenger were injured. I quickly shut down the engine and power. We exited the aircraft at once. I discovered that the steering rods and dampner had broken. (This was a gentle landing.) minor left wingtip and propeller damage had occurred. The aircraft was towed to parking and is to be repaired. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that the gear did not collapse. The sharp turn resulting from the nosewheel at 90 degrees was so quick that the right main gear came off the ground resulting in left wingtip and propeller contact with the runway before coming to a stop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE OF NOSE STEERING RODS ON C172 RESULTS IN LOSS OF CTL ON LNDG. RESULTING DAMAGE WAS L WINGTIP AND A PROP STRIKE.

Narrative: THOROUGH PREFLT -- ALL LOOKED GOOD. TOOK OFF FROM MLU AT XA41 -- NO PROBS. VFR SIGHT-SEEING OVER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND RETURNED TO MLU. COMPLETED PRELNDG CHKLIST AND MADE NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 22. I LANDED ON MAIN WHEELS AT ABOUT 50 MPH. ABOUT 3 OR 4 SECONDS AFTER NOSEWHEEL SAT DOWN, THE NOSEWHEEL STARTED TO SHIMMY LIGHTLY. I TRIED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO STOP THE SHIMMY, BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. ALL OF A SUDDEN. THE NOSEWHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE MUCH HARDER. I APPLIED BRAKES AT THIS POINT. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE PLANE MADE A HARD R, WHILE TILTING TO THE R. THE L WINGTIP TOUCHED THE RWY. THE PROP STRUCK ALSO. THE ACFT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS ON THE RWY BUT 90 DEGS TO THE R OF NORMAL TRAVEL. NEITHER ME NOR MY PAX WERE INJURED. I QUICKLY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND PWR. WE EXITED THE ACFT AT ONCE. I DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING RODS AND DAMPNER HAD BROKEN. (THIS WAS A GENTLE LNDG.) MINOR L WINGTIP AND PROP DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO PARKING AND IS TO BE REPAIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THE GEAR DID NOT COLLAPSE. THE SHARP TURN RESULTING FROM THE NOSEWHEEL AT 90 DEGS WAS SO QUICK THAT THE R MAIN GEAR CAME OFF THE GND RESULTING IN L WINGTIP AND PROP CONTACT WITH THE RWY BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.

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.