REFLECTOR: NOSE WHEEL GOT SIDEWAYS

[Scott Derrick]

I doubt the nose gear got sideways.  It will still come up even if its 
45 degrees off.  Maybe it didn't come all the way up because of some 
other problem and the doors tried to close with the nose gear sticking out?

The  threaded piece that goes between the gear door actuator and the rod 
ends obviously broke.  The system may have been set to tight.  Maybe 
there was a nick in the threaded piece? 

I think that threaded piece is designed to be the weak link so if 
something does get caught it will break instead of ripping the hardware 
out of the bulk head or thrashing the door attach points.

Scott

Tom Martino wrote:

>Something unusual happened to me today in flight ... but fortunately, it
>didn't cause any major problems.
>
> 
>
>I am not sure why it happened or what to do to prevent it ... so I ask
>all of you ...
>
> 
>
>I was doing touch-and-goes.  On my last take-off ... I noticed the nose
>gear hadn't retracted.  So I lowered the gear (got greens) and landed.
>
> 
>
>The nose gear door actuator has a "T" fitting screwed into the end of
>the shaft which connects to the gear door rods (which open and close the
>door).
>
> 
>
>The "T" had snapped off the end of the actuator shaft. 
>
> 
>
>>From what I surmised ... the nose gear got sideways and grabbed the nose
>gear doors on the way up (during retraction) and got wedged outside the
>doors.  As it pulled the doors up with a lot of force (while the door
>actuator was still extended) it snapped the "T" fitting off the end of
>the shaft.
>
> 
>
>The only damage is the "T" fitting (which I lost in flight) and the rod
>of the actuator which has a screw snapped off inside it.
>
> 
>
>Has anyone ever head o this happening?
>
> 
>
>Either I retracted my gear too soon, or the nose fork is too tight on
>the spindle.
>
> 
>
>Any thoughts?
>
>  
>
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