What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft nose landing gear green light (down and locked annunciator) not illuminated after landing on June 30, 2013. Worn bolt replaced and adjusted down and locked switch in accordance with PA-31-350 maintenance manual. Discrepancy repeated on July 1, 2013. Aircaft landing gear rigging was checked in accordance with section vii of PA-31-350 all landing gear switches were adjusted and the gear was cycled multiple times. Aircraft flew an operational check flight of the landing gear on morning of July 2, 2013 and upon nose landing gear touching runway 21 at Wasilla Airport the nose landing gear extend and lock rod (Piper part number 41790-000) broke at lower rod end then broke from upper rod end. Lower rod end showed discoloration through the the shear point perpendicular to the rod axis indicating it had been cracked for a while. Upper break point showed clean fresh break. Extend and lock rod was not adjusted during previous maintenance and the jam nuts were lost with the rod. Pilot managed heading, cut power and maintained control of aircraft following gear collapse.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT NOSE LANDING GEAR GREEN LIGHT (DOWN AND LOCKED ANNUNCIATOR) NOT ILLUMINATED AFTER LANDING ON JUNE 30, 2013. WORN BOLT REPLACED AND ADJUSTED DOWN AND LOCKED SWITCH IN ACCORDANCE WITH PA-31-350 MAINTENANCE MANUAL. DISCREPANCY REPEATED ON JULY 1, 2013. AIRCAFT LANDING GEAR RIGGING WAS CHECKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION VII OF PA-31-350 ALL LANDING GEAR SWITCHES WERE ADJUSTED AND THE GEAR WAS CYCLED MULTIPLE TIMES. AIRCRAFT FLEW AN OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT OF THE LANDING GEAR ON MORNING OF JULY 2, 2013 AND UPON NOSE LANDING GEAR TOUCHING RUNWAY 21 AT WASILLA AIRPORT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR EXTEND AND LOCK ROD (PIPER PART NUMBER 41790-000) BROKE AT LOWER ROD END THEN BROKE FROM UPPER ROD END. LOWER ROD END SHOWED DISCOLORATION THROUGH THE THE SHEAR POINT PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROD AXIS INDICATING IT HAD BEEN CRACKED FOR A WHILE. UPPER BREAK POINT SHOWED CLEAN FRESH BREAK. EXTEND AND LOCK ROD WAS NOT ADJUSTED DURING PREVIOUS MAINTENANCE AND THE JAM NUTS WERE LOST WITH THE ROD. PILOT MANAGED HEADING, CUT POWER AND MAINTAINED CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING GEAR COLLAPSE.
Other reports on N400RA · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.