Narrative:

Aircraft on standard ILS runway 21R approach. The approach was stabilized. All gear were down and locked. All '3 green' lights of the landing gear indicators were lit and observed. Approach speed was normal; aircraft crossed runway 21R threshold; while tracking on GS and on localizer; full landing flaps were deployed. Landing speed was normal. Left and right main gear touched down on either side of centerline. As nose gear touched down; the aircraft immediately without warning veered violently to the left. Pilot applied maximum right leg/foot pressure to right rudder in attempt to make aircraft remain on the centerline but noticed absolutely no effect. Right rudder felt stuck. Aircraft continued to skid unctlably to the left. Runway was wet and slippery. Aircraft eventually veered off to approximately 10-15 ft off the runway left edge; composed of mainly grass and gravel. Pilot continued to moderate right rudder pressure and braking pressure. Eventually; aircraft gained traction and began to steer to the right; returning back onto the asphalt hard runway surface. Due to the wetness and potential black icing condition on the surface; the aircraft turned around and came to a full stop; back on the runway asphalt surface; facing the opposite direction. Tower controller asked whether the aft had come in contact with any known patches of black ice on the runway. The pilot replied that he did not know. The controller told pilot to change to ground frequency. Pilot then engaged only emergency ground clearance switch; communication #1; to remain in communication with tower. The controller radioed mechanics on field to call for the tug. Initial observations: the nose gear remained intact and was raised on the tug. The aircraft was towed back to the hangar. FAA FSDO official was on the scene. When examining the nose gear undercarriage; the mechanics found that the engine mount portion which connected to the nose gear hydraulic actuator and then to the nose gear trunnion; was cracked. No hydraulic fluid leak was found. The mechanics commented that the pilot never had any chance of regaining steering control of the aircraft. Broken and cracked engine mount in piper PA46 aircraft is a known and recurring issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the local FAA flight safety inspector was at the field and investigated the incident when the aircraft was towed in the hangar. The maintenance people and the inspector concluded the lower motor mount was cracked prior to landing and failed on landing with the nose landing gear losing support. The piper PA46 motor mounts have a known record of failures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA46 UPON LNDG ACFT VEERED VIOLENTLY L AND SKIDDED OFF RWY; THEN RETURNED TO RWY TO A FULL STOP. CAUSED BY A FAILED MOTOR MOUNT.

Narrative: ACFT ON STANDARD ILS RWY 21R APCH. THE APCH WAS STABILIZED. ALL GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. ALL '3 GREEN' LIGHTS OF THE LNDG GEAR INDICATORS WERE LIT AND OBSERVED. APCH SPD WAS NORMAL; ACFT CROSSED RWY 21R THRESHOLD; WHILE TRACKING ON GS AND ON LOC; FULL LNDG FLAPS WERE DEPLOYED. LNDG SPD WAS NORMAL. L AND R MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON EITHER SIDE OF CTRLINE. AS NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN; THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT WARNING VEERED VIOLENTLY TO THE L. PLT APPLIED MAX R LEG/FOOT PRESSURE TO R RUDDER IN ATTEMPT TO MAKE ACFT REMAIN ON THE CTRLINE BUT NOTICED ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT. R RUDDER FELT STUCK. ACFT CONTINUED TO SKID UNCTLABLY TO THE L. RWY WAS WET AND SLIPPERY. ACFT EVENTUALLY VEERED OFF TO APPROX 10-15 FT OFF THE RWY L EDGE; COMPOSED OF MAINLY GRASS AND GRAVEL. PLT CONTINUED TO MODERATE R RUDDER PRESSURE AND BRAKING PRESSURE. EVENTUALLY; ACFT GAINED TRACTION AND BEGAN TO STEER TO THE R; RETURNING BACK ONTO THE ASPHALT HARD RWY SURFACE. DUE TO THE WETNESS AND POTENTIAL BLACK ICING CONDITION ON THE SURFACE; THE ACFT TURNED AROUND AND CAME TO A FULL STOP; BACK ON THE RWY ASPHALT SURFACE; FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. TWR CTLR ASKED WHETHER THE AFT HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH ANY KNOWN PATCHES OF BLACK ICE ON THE RWY. THE PLT REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW. THE CTLR TOLD PLT TO CHANGE TO GND FREQ. PLT THEN ENGAGED ONLY EMER GND CLRNC SWITCH; COM #1; TO REMAIN IN COM WITH TWR. THE CTLR RADIOED MECHS ON FIELD TO CALL FOR THE TUG. INITIAL OBSERVATIONS: THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED INTACT AND WAS RAISED ON THE TUG. THE ACFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE HANGAR. FAA FSDO OFFICIAL WAS ON THE SCENE. WHEN EXAMINING THE NOSE GEAR UNDERCARRIAGE; THE MECHS FOUND THAT THE ENG MOUNT PORTION WHICH CONNECTED TO THE NOSE GEAR HYD ACTUATOR AND THEN TO THE NOSE GEAR TRUNNION; WAS CRACKED. NO HYD FLUID LEAK WAS FOUND. THE MECHS COMMENTED THAT THE PLT NEVER HAD ANY CHANCE OF REGAINING STEERING CTL OF THE ACFT. BROKEN AND CRACKED ENG MOUNT IN PIPER PA46 ACFT IS A KNOWN AND RECURRING ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LCL FAA FLT SAFETY INSPECTOR WAS AT THE FIELD AND INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT WHEN THE ACFT WAS TOWED IN THE HANGAR. THE MAINT PEOPLE AND THE INSPECTOR CONCLUDED THE LOWER MOTOR MOUNT WAS CRACKED PRIOR TO LNDG AND FAILED ON LNDG WITH THE NOSE LNDG GEAR LOSING SUPPORT. THE PIPER PA46 MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE A KNOWN RECORD OF FAILURES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.