REFLECTOR:Nose Gear Warning
Wayne Owens
reflector@tvbf.org
Sat, 31 May 2003 09:38:17 -0400
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Those of you that have the old nose gear strut manufactured by Danny =
Mayer should be aware of its weakness. The strut is pinched down in the =
bends. Scott Swing told me they use better dies and don't have the =
problem now.
I had a violent nose gear shimmy which caused me to have to reinforce my =
nose gear bulkhead. At that time I did a thorough inspection of the fork =
and the strut. There was no crack visible in the strut at that time. =
After those repairs I have flown passengers and even (blanch) Young =
Eagles.
The strut broke off the other day and went through my prop. There was =
clear evidence of a pre-existing crack on the ends of the broken part. =
Part of the break line had corrosion present. Three quarters of the =
damage was a fresh break but the rest was old damage. The crack occurred =
near where the tube exits the fuselage and is difficult to see.
The event occurred at a controlled airport whose standing procedures =
include closing the runway and waiting for the FSDO to permit moving =
the plane. If I had a furniture dolly in the plane I could have put it =
under the nose and taxied back to my hanger before they new what was =
happening instead of waiting 45 minutes on a closed runway.
The FAA inspector asked me to notify the factory and the owners group of =
the potential problem. I have heard of others who had cracked forks =
but was not personally aware of the strut itself being a problem. =
Hindsight being what it is I wish I had been more discriminating. The =
43-13 has guidelines about the amount of pinch in a bend.
Wayne Owens
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Those of you that have the old nose =
gear strut=20
manufactured by Danny Mayer should be aware of its weakness. The strut =
is=20
pinched down in the bends. Scott Swing told me they use better dies and =
don't=20
have the problem now.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I had a violent nose gear shimmy which =
caused me to=20
have to reinforce my nose gear bulkhead. At that time I did a thorough=20
inspection of the fork and the strut. There was no crack visible =
in the=20
strut at that time. After those repairs I have flown =
passengers and=20
even (blanch) Young Eagles.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The strut broke off the other day and =
went through=20
my prop. There was clear evidence of a pre-existing crack on the ends of =
the=20
broken part. Part of the break line had corrosion present. Three =
quarters of the=20
damage was a fresh break but the rest was old damage. The crack occurred =
near=20
where the tube exits the fuselage and is difficult to see.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The event occurred at a controlled =
airport whose=20
standing procedures include closing the runway and waiting for the =
FSDO to=20
permit moving the plane. If I had a furniture dolly in the plane I could =
have=20
put it under the nose and taxied back to my hanger before they new =
what=20
was happening instead of waiting 45 minutes on a closed =20
runway.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The FAA inspector asked me to notify =
the factory=20
and the owners group of the potential problem. I have heard of =
others who=20
had cracked forks but was not personally aware of the strut itself =
being a=20
problem. Hindsight being what it is I wish I had been more =
discriminating. The=20
43-13 has guidelines about the amount of pinch in a bend.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Wayne Owens</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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