# Incident 20030605016439I: Amtr LIBERTYXL2, Melbourne, FL, June 5, 2003

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 5, 2003, 10:00 local time
- Place: Melbourne, FL
- Airport: Melbourne Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.0836° N, 80.6081° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Melbourne, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0836&lon=-80.6081&mi=10
- Aircraft: N204XL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N204XL-2008-03-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: STW Composites LIBERTY XL-2 (registry code 05614TG, https://openairdocs.org/model/stw-composites-liberty-xl-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR LIBERTYXL2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 15,000 total, 50 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030605016439I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A NOSE LANDING GEAR (NLG) STRUT SHAFT FAILURE DURING LANDING ROLLOUT, AND THE NOSE GEAR TIRE ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE STRUT. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE NLG LEG ASSEMBLY (PN 135-40-511 REV. D) REVEALED THAT IT HAD FAILED JUST ABOVE THE SWIVEL LINK WHERE THE NOSE GEAR SHAFT ATTACHES TO THE STRUT LEG. COMPANY ENGINEERING PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE FAILURE MODE WAS INDICATIVE OF A FORM OF BRITTLE FAILURE, AND NOTED THAT DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING QUALITY ISSUES (SIZE, METAL HARDNESS AND RADIUS SIZE) WERE THE LIKELY REASON (S) FOR THE FAILURE. THEY ALSO NOTED THAT AN IMPROVED NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY HAD ALREADY BEEN DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS OF THE EXISTING DESIGN, AND THAT INSTALLATION OF THE IMPROVED DESIGN (P/N 135A-40-511 REV. G) IS PENDING AS PART OF THE ON-GOING AIRPLANE TYPE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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