Narrative:

I am a private pilot with an instrument rating taking instruction for a commercial license. During my second complex lesson the nosewheel of the cessna cutlass I was flying retracted. The touch and go landing was well executed, our checklist on final was ok with visual checks of both main gear down and a green light on the gear switch. I landed gently on the mains, applied back pressure on the yoke allowing the nose to settle. I readjusted my feet on the rudder pedals to apply brakes and the nosewheel retracted. My left hand was always on the yoke and my right hand never left the throttle. This was my fourth landing of the day. After the third landing my instructor suggested that I crank my seat all of the way up to improve my sight picture and help with the flare timing. This created an interference with the gear lever and my right knee. I believe that when I put the gear lever down it did not go to the fully locked position. When I readjusted my feet for braking ability I may have pushed it to release the gear. When the plane came to a stop, the gear lever was not in the down and locked position, the flaps were still down and the throttle was fully back. The plane remained on the main gear with the nose gear retracted and the doors for the nose gear closed. I was unsure if the nosewheel ever came down but the damage suggested that it had. Also my instructor said he thought we had rolled briefly on the nose gear. I am assuming that the nose gear functioned properly. The mechanics who checked out the plane could not reproduce any failures. When the nose of the plane hit the runway even at the relatively slow speed where the tail authority/authorized cannot keep the nosewheel up anymore, it was a rough ride. Even with seat and shoulder straps, I hit the dash with my knees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSES ON LNDG.

Narrative: I AM A PVT PLT WITH AN INST RATING TAKING INSTRUCTION FOR A COMMERCIAL LICENSE. DURING MY SECOND COMPLEX LESSON THE NOSEWHEEL OF THE CESSNA CUTLASS I WAS FLYING RETRACTED. THE TOUCH AND GO LNDG WAS WELL EXECUTED, OUR CHKLIST ON FINAL WAS OK WITH VISUAL CHKS OF BOTH MAIN GEAR DOWN AND A GREEN LIGHT ON THE GEAR SWITCH. I LANDED GENTLY ON THE MAINS, APPLIED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE ALLOWING THE NOSE TO SETTLE. I READJUSTED MY FEET ON THE RUDDER PEDALS TO APPLY BRAKES AND THE NOSEWHEEL RETRACTED. MY L HAND WAS ALWAYS ON THE YOKE AND MY R HAND NEVER LEFT THE THROTTLE. THIS WAS MY FOURTH LNDG OF THE DAY. AFTER THE THIRD LNDG MY INSTRUCTOR SUGGESTED THAT I CRANK MY SEAT ALL OF THE WAY UP TO IMPROVE MY SIGHT PICTURE AND HELP WITH THE FLARE TIMING. THIS CREATED AN INTERFERENCE WITH THE GEAR LEVER AND MY R KNEE. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN I PUT THE GEAR LEVER DOWN IT DID NOT GO TO THE FULLY LOCKED POS. WHEN I READJUSTED MY FEET FOR BRAKING ABILITY I MAY HAVE PUSHED IT TO RELEASE THE GEAR. WHEN THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP, THE GEAR LEVER WAS NOT IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS, THE FLAPS WERE STILL DOWN AND THE THROTTLE WAS FULLY BACK. THE PLANE REMAINED ON THE MAIN GEAR WITH THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED AND THE DOORS FOR THE NOSE GEAR CLOSED. I WAS UNSURE IF THE NOSEWHEEL EVER CAME DOWN BUT THE DAMAGE SUGGESTED THAT IT HAD. ALSO MY INSTRUCTOR SAID HE THOUGHT WE HAD ROLLED BRIEFLY ON THE NOSE GEAR. I AM ASSUMING THAT THE NOSE GEAR FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE MECHS WHO CHKED OUT THE PLANE COULD NOT REPRODUCE ANY FAILURES. WHEN THE NOSE OF THE PLANE HIT THE RWY EVEN AT THE RELATIVELY SLOW SPD WHERE THE TAIL AUTH CANNOT KEEP THE NOSEWHEEL UP ANYMORE, IT WAS A ROUGH RIDE. EVEN WITH SEAT AND SHOULDER STRAPS, I HIT THE DASH WITH MY KNEES.

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.