What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Monday 05/28/2018, N45191, a Grumman tiger AA-5B, nose gear collapsed while the aircraft was conducting a run up on taxiway a at Norwood memorial airport (owd). FAA eastern regional operations center (roc) was notified approximately three hours after the event took place. The aircraft was moved prior to FAA notification and no pictures were obtained prior to the aircraft being moved.
On Tuesday 05/29/2018, inspectors from the boston FSDO traveled to owd to inspect N45191 and talk to the pilot to learn more about the event. The pilot stated that a preflight inspection was conducted on 05/28/2018 with no issues noted. The pilot and one passenger then boarded the aircraft for an IFR departure to bradford regional airport (bfd). The pilot stated that there were no abnormalities noted while taxing to runway 35 for engine run up and takeoff. The pilot stated that power was applied to the engine and set to approximately 1800 RPM, then aircraft nose began to lower and the propeller struck the ground. The pilot stated that the mixture was cut off to the engine and owd tower was immediately notified of the event.
Inspectors from the boston FSDO inspected the aircraft after speaking with the pilot. The aircraft was located on flight level?s transient parking ramp. The nose gear was still attached to the aircraft, with the nose of the aircraft lower than normal. Both propeller tips, approximately two inches of the tip, were bent inward toward the cockpit, markings were consistent with the engine running when the propeller struck the ground. No other damage was noted on the aircraft. The aircraft was released to flight level for repair and roc was notified to update the event as an incident with minor damage.
On 05/30/2018, flight level removed the cowling from the aircraft. Pictures provided to the office from flight level?s maintenance department show that both shock absorber were fully compressed. The pictures also depict a possible issue with the nose landing gear torque tube & yoke assembly located behind the firewall.
06/19/2018, Inspectors from the boston FSDO traveled back to flight level in owd to examine the removed nose landing gear torque tube & yoke assembly. The nose landing gear torque tube & yoke assembly appeared to be intact. Maintenance personnel from flight level were able to spin the mounting bracket with little resistance. Flight level maintenance advised this office that the nose landing gear torque tube & yoke assembly should not spin freely around the mounting bracket. Flight level maintenance staff advised inspectors that Grumman manufacture the nose landing gear torque tube & yoke assembly with the mounting brackets glued to the assembly. The glue is used to keep the assembly from moving.
As the FAA filed it
ON MONDAY 05/28/2018, N45191, A GRUMMAN TIGER AA-5B, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A RUN UP ON TAXIWAY A AT NORWOOD MEMORIAL AIRPORT (OWD). FAA EASTERN REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC) WAS NOTIFIED APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER THE EVENT TOOK PLACE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED PRIOR TO FAA NOTIFICATION AND NO PICTURES WERE OBTAINED PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT BEING MOVED.
ON TUESDAY 05/29/2018, INSPECTORS FROM THE BOSTON FSDO TRAVELED TO OWD TO INSPECT N45191 AND TALK TO THE PILOT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED ON 05/28/2018 WITH NO ISSUES NOTED. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER THEN BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT FOR AN IFR DEPARTURE TO BRADFORD REGIONAL AIRPORT (BFD). THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED WHILE TAXING TO RUNWAY 35 FOR ENGINE RUN UP AND TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT POWER WAS APPLIED TO THE ENGINE AND SET TO APPROXIMATELY 1800 RPM, THEN AIRCRAFT NOSE BEGAN TO LOWER AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE MIXTURE WAS CUT OFF TO THE ENGINE AND OWD TOWER WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED OF THE EVENT.
INSPECTORS FROM THE BOSTON FSDO INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON FLIGHT LEVEL?S TRANSIENT PARKING RAMP. THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT, WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT LOWER THAN NORMAL. BOTH PROPELLER TIPS, APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES OF THE TIP, WERE BENT INWARD TOWARD THE COCKPIT, MARKINGS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING WHEN THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED TO FLIGHT LEVEL FOR REPAIR AND ROC WAS NOTIFIED TO UPDATE THE EVENT AS AN INCIDENT WITH MINOR DAMAGE.
ON 05/30/2018, FLIGHT LEVEL REMOVED THE COWLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. PICTURES PROVIDED TO THE OFFICE FROM FLIGHT LEVEL?S MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT SHOW THAT BOTH SHOCK ABSORBER WERE FULLY COMPRESSED. THE PICTURES ALSO DEPICT A POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TORQUE TUBE & YOKE ASSEMBLY LOCATED BEHIND THE FIREWALL.
06/19/2018, INSPECTORS FROM THE BOSTON FSDO TRAVELED BACK TO FLIGHT LEVEL IN OWD TO EXAMINE THE REMOVED NOSE LANDING GEAR TORQUE TUBE & YOKE ASSEMBLY. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TORQUE TUBE & YOKE ASSEMBLY APPEARED TO BE INTACT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FROM FLIGHT LEVEL WERE ABLE TO SPIN THE MOUNTING BRACKET WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE. FLIGHT LEVEL MAINTENANCE ADVISED THIS OFFICE THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TORQUE TUBE & YOKE ASSEMBLY SHOULD NOT SPIN FREELY AROUND THE MOUNTING BRACKET. FLIGHT LEVEL MAINTENANCE STAFF ADVISED INSPECTORS THAT GRUMMAN MANUFACTURE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TORQUE TUBE & YOKE ASSEMBLY WITH THE MOUNTING BRACKETS GLUED TO THE ASSEMBLY. THE GLUE IS USED TO KEEP THE ASSEMBLY FROM MOVING.