20020331004359I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Slinds 100-180 · Merced, CA · March 31, 2002

Date: March 31, 2002 · 19:33 local
Place: Merced, CA
Airport: Merced Municipal/Mac Ready
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4019X
Reported as: Slinds 100180
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N4019XRegistered now · Aero Commander 100-180S/N 5119 · Built 1969 Airframe modelAero Commander 100-180 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The nose gear collapsed while landing at the Merced muni airport. Further investigation revealed that the "lug ears" that support the upper strut torque links had sheared off causing the strut assembly to separate. As a result of this, there was further damage due to the propeller contacting the ground causing a sudden stoppage condition for the engine. (Note) - the part number, manufacturer and nomenclature of damaged component could not be researched due to no availability of maintenance manuals or microfiche.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE LANDING AT THE MERCED MUNI AIRPORT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE "LUG EARS" THAT SUPPORT THE UPPER STRUT TORQUE LINKS HAD SHEARED OFF CAUSING THE STRUT ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THERE WAS FURTHER DAMAGE DUE TO THE PROPELLER CONTACTING THE GROUND CAUSING A SUDDEN STOPPAGE CONDITION FOR THE ENGINE. (NOTE) - THE PART NUMBER, MANUFACTURER AND NOMENCLATURE OF DAMAGED COMPONENT COULD NOT BE RESEARCHED DUE TO NO AVAILABILITY OF MAINTENANCE MANUALS OR MICROFICHE.