What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
10/26/10INSPECTOR privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted went to Frederick flight center to meet with privacy data omitted, the flight school mechanic. The nose gear on the flight school multi-engine trainer a Piper PA-44-180 seminole had collapsed on landing on 10-24-10. On board were the student and the flight instructor. No one was injured. According to what the mechanic said, the aircraft would only show two green lights when the gear was selected to the down position. The gear was cycled several times, with the same results each time. They could not get the third green light. The aircraft was landed and the nose gear folded back while the aircraft was rolling out on the runway. The nose section, gear doors and both props were damaged. The aircraft was towed back and put in the flight school hangar. The down tension springs (2) on the nose gear where damaged. The inner spring broke and a piece of the spring was protruding through the outer spring. Both springs were bent towards the right side of the aircraft. The outer spring was stretched out of shape. This stretching took the tension off the down spring and would not let the drag link come fully down and be over-center. This was noticed while under the aircraft. We got out from under the aircraft and secured the tail tie-down to the cement stand. The nose gear doors will be removed and the gear cycled to see what happens with the broken spring.10/28/10REINSPECTED aircraft while on jacks. Cylce gear and found that the broken inner spring had one tang come out through the outer spring. The lower portion of the outer spring was in the original shape and the top half was stretched which stopped the nose gear down lock from moving full forward and locking into place. It would appear that a new set of springs would have the needed tension to pull the nose gear down and lock into place.
As the FAA filed it
10/26/10INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WENT TO FREDERICK FLIGHT CENTER TO MEET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE FLIGHT SCHOOL MECHANIC. THE NOSE GEAR ON THE FLIGHT SCHOOL MULTI-ENGINE TRAINER A PIPER PA-44-180 SEMINOLE HAD COLLAPSED ON LANDING ON 10-24-10. ON BOARD WERE THE STUDENT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. NO ONE WAS INJURED. ACCORDING TO WHAT THE MECHANIC SAID, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD ONLY SHOW TWO GREEN LIGHTS WHEN THE GEAR WAS SELECTED TO THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR WAS CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES, WITH THE SAME RESULTS EACH TIME. THEY COULD NOT GET THE THIRD GREEN LIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED AND THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED BACK WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ROLLING OUT ON THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE SECTION, GEAR DOORS AND BOTH PROPS WERE DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED BACK AND PUT IN THE FLIGHT SCHOOL HANGAR.THE DOWN TENSION SPRINGS (2) ON THE NOSE GEAR WHERE DAMAGED. THE INNER SPRING BROKE AND A PIECE OF THE SPRING WAS PROTRUDING THROUGH THE OUTER SPRING. BOTH SPRINGS WERE BENT TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE OUTER SPRING WAS STRETCHED OUT OF SHAPE. THIS STRETCHING TOOK THE TENSION OFF THE DOWN SPRING AND WOULD NOT LET THE DRAG LINK COME FULLY DOWN AND BE OVER-CENTER. THIS WAS NOTICED WHILE UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. WE GOT OUT FROM UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND SECURED THE TAIL TIE-DOWN TO THE CEMENT STAND.THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WILL BE REMOVED AND THE GEAR CYCLED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE BROKEN SPRING.10/28/10REINSPECTED AIRCRAFT WHILE ON JACKS. CYLCE GEAR AND FOUND THAT THE BROKEN INNER SPRING HAD ONE TANG COME OUT THROUGH THE OUTER SPRING. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE OUTER SPRING WAS IN THE ORIGINAL SHAPE AND THE TOP HALF WAS STRETCHED WHICH STOPPED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK FROM MOVING FULL FORWARD AND LOCKING INTO PLACE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT A NEW SET OF SPRINGS WOULD HAVE THE NEEDED TENSION TO PULL THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCK INTO PLACE.
Other reports on N79NA · 1
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