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20160715011999I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Denton, TX · July 15, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 15, 2016 · 17:00 local
Place
Denton, TX
Airport
Denton Enterprise Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
U9FS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N852AT
Reported as
Piper PA-34-200
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N852ATRegistered now · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7250258 · Built 1972Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

In the PIC ?s statement he and the student pilot were doing a second touch and go when the PIC noticed the nose gear was not down and locked. The PIC called the tower to confirm the nose gear was not down. The PIC said he couldn't hear the hydrulic pump spinning. After several attempts the PIC tried to get the gear to free fall. Another pass by the tower was made and the tower personnel confirmed the nose gear was not down and locked, but the gear doors looked to be open about 15 to 20 degrees.

Inspectors statement: on 07/15/2016 maintenance personnel from us aviation and personnel from the north Texas flight standards district office attempted to free fall the aircraft landing gear manually using the manual free fall system. Both main landing gear and nose gear extended. This was done several times with no failures.

Upon inspecting the nose gear linkages, actuators, wheel housing and landing gear there was only one chafe mark that could be found. This was located on the aft nose gear door actuation tube.

The aircraft log books were reviewed to confirm Piper service bulletin (s/b) no. 893 and airworthiness directive (AD) 92-13-05 had been complied with, found they were on 05/02/1993.

Verified all maintenance steps had been correctly accomplished. Found there were three washers part number AN960-416 installed above the centering spring rod end and one washer part number 62833-1023 below the centering spring rod end. This was found to be in compliance with AD 92-13-05 and Piper s/b no. 893.

On September 12, 2016 during one of the free fall attempts it was noted the bolt connecting the centering spring rod end and the centering bracket part number AN24-20A made contact with the nose gear door actuation tube. Maintenance personnel removed one washer part number AN960-416 from the attach point of the centering spring rod end and nose gear bracket. In accordance with Piper s/b 893 there should be a maximum of three washers part number AN960-416 installed in this location. Note this did not stop the nose gear from free falling.

After several more attempts of trying to get the nose gear free fall system to fail under the same conditions all attempts were unsuccessful. The bolt connecting the centering spring rod end and the centering bracket part number did not make contact with the nose gear door actuation tube.

Piper s/b 893 and AD 92-13-05 was issued due to overloading of the nose baggage compartment causing the centering spring attach bolt to contact the nose gear door actuation tube causing a significant enough overload to prevent operation of the nose gear under certain conditions. A service difficulty report was filed.

As the FAA filed it

IN THE PIC ?S STATEMENT HE AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE DOING A SECOND TOUCH AND GO WHEN THE PIC NOTICED THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PIC CALLED THE TOWER TO CONFIRM THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. THE PIC SAID HE COULDN'T HEAR THE HYDRULIC PUMP SPINNING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE PIC TRIED TO GET THE GEAR TO FREE FALL. ANOTHER PASS BY THE TOWER WAS MADE AND THE TOWER PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT THE GEAR DOORS LOOKED TO BE OPEN ABOUT 15 TO 20 DEGREES.

INSPECTORS STATEMENT: ON 07/15/2016 MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FROM US AVIATION AND PERSONNEL FROM THE NORTH TEXAS FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE ATTEMPTED TO FREE FALL THE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR MANUALLY USING THE MANUAL FREE FALL SYSTEM. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE GEAR EXTENDED. THIS WAS DONE SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO FAILURES.

UPON INSPECTING THE NOSE GEAR LINKAGES, ACTUATORS, WHEEL HOUSING AND LANDING GEAR THERE WAS ONLY ONE CHAFE MARK THAT COULD BE FOUND. THIS WAS LOCATED ON THE AFT NOSE GEAR DOOR ACTUATION TUBE.

THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS WERE REVIEWED TO CONFIRM PIPER SERVICE BULLETIN (S/B) NO. 893 AND AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) 92-13-05 HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH, FOUND THEY WERE ON 05/02/1993.

VERIFIED ALL MAINTENANCE STEPS HAD BEEN CORRECTLY ACCOMPLISHED. FOUND THERE WERE THREE WASHERS PART NUMBER AN960-416 INSTALLED ABOVE THE CENTERING SPRING ROD END AND ONE WASHER PART NUMBER 62833-1023 BELOW THE CENTERING SPRING ROD END. THIS WAS FOUND TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH AD 92-13-05 AND PIPER S/B NO. 893.

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 DURING ONE OF THE FREE FALL ATTEMPTS IT WAS NOTED THE BOLT CONNECTING THE CENTERING SPRING ROD END AND THE CENTERING BRACKET PART NUMBER AN24-20A MADE CONTACT WITH THE NOSE GEAR DOOR ACTUATION TUBE. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REMOVED ONE WASHER PART NUMBER AN960-416 FROM THE ATTACH POINT OF THE CENTERING SPRING ROD END AND NOSE GEAR BRACKET. IN ACCORDANCE WITH PIPER S/B 893 THERE SHOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF THREE WASHERS PART NUMBER AN960-416 INSTALLED IN THIS LOCATION. NOTE THIS DID NOT STOP THE NOSE GEAR FROM FREE FALLING.

AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS OF TRYING TO GET THE NOSE GEAR FREE FALL SYSTEM TO FAIL UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS ALL ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE BOLT CONNECTING THE CENTERING SPRING ROD END AND THE CENTERING BRACKET PART NUMBER DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE NOSE GEAR DOOR ACTUATION TUBE.

PIPER S/B 893 AND AD 92-13-05 WAS ISSUED DUE TO OVERLOADING OF THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT CAUSING THE CENTERING SPRING ATTACH BOLT TO CONTACT THE NOSE GEAR DOOR ACTUATION TUBE CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH OVERLOAD TO PREVENT OPERATION OF THE NOSE GEAR UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. A SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORT WAS FILED.

Other reports on N852AT · 4

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20160125000629ILanding: Touchdown · Abilene, TXThe pilot was conducting a multi-engine check ride, the event occurred during a short field landing approach. The applicant was at the controls and when they overflew the projected landing point he lowered the nose causing the aircraft to land nose heavy. The…Jan 25, 2016 · Minor damageIncident 20140125000839ILanding: Rollout · Denton, TXAircraft landed on rwy 18 and was commencing a landing roll out when a "snap" noise was heard from the nose gear area. The airplane began to settle nose down onto the runway and damaged the props and nose of the aircraft. No injuries. Minor damage to the…Jan 25, 2014 · Minor damageIncident 20090919017559ILanding · Denton, TX(-23) On September 19, 2009, at approximately 1800 local time, on board PA-34-200, N852AT, pilot in command and flight instructor [privacy data omitted], instructed [privacy data omitted] during a landing at Denton airport (dto) after five touch and go…Sep 19, 2009 · Minor damageIncident 20080223011439ILevel Off Touchdown · Denton, TX(-23) Landing gear collapsed on roll out during turn onto taxiway.Feb 23, 2008 · Substantial damage