Light Sport Aircraft
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 6920; Flight Crew Type 90
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Aircraft
I was landing after ferrying the aircraft for minor maintenance. I decided to do a long soft field landing to save taxi time. The landing went well; and I held the nose off the runway for a distance then allowed it to come down. I would estimate my speed when the nose gear came down at approximately 30 knots. The nose gear began to shimmy; so I pulled the stick back to take weight off of the nose gear and the shimmying stopped; but there was not enough speed to raise the nose gear off the pavement. At this time; taxiway was coming up; and I began to apply braking at the lead-in taxiway line. At that point; the nose gear collapsed; and the aircraft skidded approximately 100 feet down the runway on its nose. I did not apply braking. Aircraft damage was confined to the propeller; cowling; nose gear and exhaust system. The nose gear showed signs of fatigue cracking.
PiperSport LSA pilot reported the nose gear collapsed upon landing roll out.