20041107031709I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Chicago/West Ch, IL · November 7, 2004

Date: November 7, 2004 · 16:45 local
Place: Chicago/West Ch, IL
Airport: Dupage
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4830L
Reported as: Piper PA28180
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N4830LRegistered now · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-4173 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180 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) On final landing after several touch and go landings, student pilot and CFI thought that they blew the left tire because the right wing came up. After full stop it was noted that the upper torque link attach lugs of the right main landing gear cylinder had both broken off disconnecting the torque link assembly allowing the strut to fully open and misaligned the wheel. Other than the cylinder assembly, no other damage was incurred. The left main landing gear cylinder was dye penetrated and both attach lugs had cracks present. Visually looking at where the break occurred, it was apparent that the cracks had been there for some time and that inner-grannular corrosion had occurred. Both cylinders will be replaced. Piper service bulletin no. 1131 dated August 2003, addressing this problem, was not complied with.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FINAL LANDING AFTER SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS, STUDENT PILOT AND CFI THOUGHT THAT THEY BLEW THE LEFT TIRE BECAUSE THE RIGHT WING CAME UP. AFTER FULL STOP IT WAS NOTED THAT THE UPPER TORQUE LINK ATTACH LUGS OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CYLINDER HAD BOTH BROKEN OFF DISCONNECTING THE TORQUE LINK ASSEMBLY ALLOWING THE STRUT TO FULLY OPEN AND MISALIGNED THE WHEEL. OTHER THAN THE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY, NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS INCURRED. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CYLINDER WAS DYE PENETRATED AND BOTH ATTACH LUGS HAD CRACKS PRESENT. VISUALLY LOOKING AT WHERE THE BREAK OCCURRED, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE CRACKS HAD BEEN THERE FOR SOME TIME AND THAT INNER-GRANNULAR CORROSION HAD OCCURRED. BOTH CYLINDERS WILL BE REPLACED. PIPER SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 1131 DATED AUGUST 2003, ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM, WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH.