Narrative:

We were asked by the owner to ferry his airplane to ZZZ for annual inspection. We met at XA00 and started our preflight planning and inspection. My flight school also uses DA42 for instruction; so there were no unfamiliar items on the preflight checklist. Among other things we inspected the undercarriage including all 9 micro switches and found everything in order. Aircraft has been hangared; and has only few hundred hours total time. As the DA42 the flight school owns and uses the same checklist; we were both equipped with factory provided checklist that contains preflight; engine starting; takeoff; climb; descent; landing procedures and emergencys and malfunctions. We took off at XB00. There were no unusual noises or indications when the gear was retracted after takeoff. Our flight was VFR and took us to ZZZ at altitudes up to 4000 ft. G1000 instrument indications were all in green with no announcements. At around XC00; PF contacted tower at ZZZ after receiving ATIS; and has been advised to enter left base for runway. At about 10 miles base PF performed descent checklist and maintained tpa. Approach checklist followed at about 5 miles base. This checklist includes test of gear unsafe warning horn; which worked. Three green landing gear lights were checked first time and found illuminated. We were cleared to land after cessna on final and PF checked his gear for the second time. We even made a point of the fact; that our usual call blue line gump does not apply in this fully automated airplane which does not have mixtures; pump; or propeller control lever. Airspeed was maintained at 100 KIAS on base; 100 KIAS base to final and 82 KIAS - blue line on short final. Last gear down check was announced at about 500 ft AGL. From that point the approach was stabilized at 82 KIAS; I think we touched down on the centerline close to 1000 ft markers. After initial touchdown the aircraft floated for few seconds and than touched down again with main gear first followed by brief contact of the nose gear with the runway. Almost immediately after the nose gear touched; we saw the nose tilt down and we were riding on main gear and the nosecone without any directional control. I do not know if PF applied any brakes at this point; I did not. The airplane turned toward the left edge of the runway; and came to full stop close to it but still on the pavement. We advised tower about our situation and performed shutdown of all electrical and fuel systems. After about 45 minutes we were advised by airport authority to move the aircraft off runway; we insisted on confirmation that it would be in line with FAA procedures. We took pictures of the aircraft before we helped crew to move it. PF was the sole operator of all flight controls during this 1 hour flight and to my knowledge he followed all checklists and procedures properly in all stages of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ACTING AS PASSENGER ON DA42 FERRY FLT REPORTS NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE ON LANDING FOR NO APPARENT REASON.

Narrative: WE WERE ASKED BY THE OWNER TO FERRY HIS AIRPLANE TO ZZZ FOR ANNUAL INSPECTION. WE MET AT XA00 AND STARTED OUR PREFLT PLANNING AND INSPECTION. MY FLT SCHOOL ALSO USES DA42 FOR INSTRUCTION; SO THERE WERE NO UNFAMILIAR ITEMS ON THE PREFLT CHKLIST. AMONG OTHER THINGS WE INSPECTED THE UNDERCARRIAGE INCLUDING ALL 9 MICRO SWITCHES AND FOUND EVERYTHING IN ORDER. ACFT HAS BEEN HANGARED; AND HAS ONLY FEW HUNDRED HRS TOTAL TIME. AS THE DA42 THE FLT SCHOOL OWNS AND USES THE SAME CHKLIST; WE WERE BOTH EQUIPPED WITH FACTORY PROVIDED CHKLIST THAT CONTAINS PREFLT; ENG STARTING; TKOF; CLB; DSCNT; LNDG PROCS AND EMERS AND MALFUNCTIONS. WE TOOK OFF AT XB00. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR INDICATIONS WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AFTER TKOF. OUR FLT WAS VFR AND TOOK US TO ZZZ AT ALTS UP TO 4000 FT. G1000 INST INDICATIONS WERE ALL IN GREEN WITH NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. AT AROUND XC00; PF CONTACTED TOWER AT ZZZ AFTER RECEIVING ATIS; AND HAS BEEN ADVISED TO ENTER LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY. AT ABOUT 10 MILES BASE PF PERFORMED DESCENT CHECKLIST AND MAINTAINED TPA. APPROACH CHECKLIST FOLLOWED AT ABOUT 5 MILES BASE. THIS CHECKLIST INCLUDES TEST OF GEAR UNSAFE WARNING HORN; WHICH WORKED. THREE GREEN LANDING GEAR LIGHTS WERE CHECKED FIRST TIME AND FOUND ILLUMINATED. WE WERE CLEARED TO LAND AFTER CESSNA ON FINAL AND PF CHECKED HIS GEAR FOR THE SECOND TIME. WE EVEN MADE A POINT OF THE FACT; THAT OUR USUAL CALL BLUE LINE GUMP DOES NOT APPLY IN THIS FULLY AUTOMATED AIRPLANE WHICH DOES NOT HAVE MIXTURES; PUMP; OR PROP CONTROL LEVER. AIRSPEED WAS MAINTAINED AT 100 KIAS ON BASE; 100 KIAS BASE TO FINAL AND 82 KIAS - BLUE LINE ON SHORT FINAL. LAST GEAR DOWN CHECK WAS ANNOUNCED AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL. FROM THAT POINT THE APPROACH WAS STABILIZED AT 82 KIAS; I THINK WE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE CENTERLINE CLOSE TO 1000 FT MARKERS. AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED FOR FEW SECONDS AND THAN TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN WITH MAIN GEAR FIRST FOLLOWED BY BRIEF CONTACT OF THE NOSE GEAR WITH THE RUNWAY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED; WE SAW THE NOSE TILT DOWN AND WE WERE RIDING ON MAIN GEAR AND THE NOSECONE WITHOUT ANY DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. I DO NOT KNOW IF PF APPLIED ANY BRAKES AT THIS POINT; I DID NOT. THE AIRPLANE TURNED TOWARD THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY; AND CAME TO FULL STOP CLOSE TO IT BUT STILL ON THE PAVEMENT. WE ADVISED TOWER ABOUT OUR SITUATION AND PERFORMED SHUTDOWN OF ALL ELECTRICAL AND FUEL SYSTEMS. AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES WE WERE ADVISED BY AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT OFF RUNWAY; WE INSISTED ON CONFIRMATION THAT IT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH FAA PROCEDURES. WE TOOK PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE WE HELPED CREW TO MOVE IT. PF WAS THE SOLE OPERATOR OF ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING THIS 1 HR FLIGHT AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE HE FOLLOWED ALL CHECKLISTS AND PROCEDURES PROPERLY IN ALL STAGES OF FLIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.