19991025030459A

(.19) On October 25, about 1020 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200, N16397, was substantially damaged while landing at the Hopedale Industrial Park Airport (1B6), Hopedale, Massachusetts. The certificated flight instructor, student pilot, and passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight instructor stated that the student was flying the approach to 1B6. The approach was normal, however, the airplane settled from about 5-6 feet in the air onto the runway. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear first, followed by the nose gear, then the nose gear collapsed. The instructor added that the landing was not soft, but he would not consider it a hard landing. He stated that he had experienced harder landings in the past. He believed that the nose gear may have encountered harder landings in the past, and failed during the landing. The wreckage was examined by a federal aviation administration inspector. The inspector observed damage to both propellers and sections of the fuselage. He added that an airworthiness inspector planned to further examine the nose gear.(-23) CFI states that they entered the pattern and lowered the landing gear. They had "3 green and 1 in the mirror". Made normal approach and landing. Upon landing they felt the mains touch and held the nose wheel off the ground, felt the nose wheel touch and then collapse. In later conversation with the pilot, he stated that the student was flying and that the airplane dropped from 5-6 feet, and that the landing was not the roughest he has felt. The major damage to the airplane is not consistent with pilots statement. The nose gear actuator has been sent to NTSB for analysis at NTSB request.