Service difficulty report · Truss · Mooney M20R

Difficulty date
May 12, 2003
Submitted
May 19, 2003
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N9169E
Make and model
Mooney M20R
Aircraft serial
290149
Aircraft time
99 hours
Engine
Cont IO550*
Part
Truss
Part number
540017509
Condition
Broken
Location
Nlg
Part time
119 hours
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

A/C RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING. (THE RECORDS SHOW A NEW 540017-509 (TRUSS ASSY, NOSE GEAR, UPPER, RETRACT) WAS INSTALLED IN A/C AT THE TIME OF REPAIR.) AT TOTAL TIME 211.1 A/C WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE TO REPAIR STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED SLOWER THAN NORMAL FLIGHT. ON THIRD TEST FLIGHT AFTER REPAIRS, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AT END OF LANDING ROLLOUT. INSP OF NOSE GEAR SHOWED WELDED TRUSS ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED. TRUSS ASSY IS 4130-TUBE WELDED STRUCTURE THAT IS HEAT TREATED AFTER ASSY. TWO ATTACH POINTS FOR RETRACT RODS; EACH POINT HAS TWO 4130 0.50 OD X 0.035 WALL TUBES THAT TIE IT TO WELDED ASSY. BOTH RETRACT ROD ATTACH POINTS FAILED JUST ABOVE THE WELDS THAT TIE THE TUBES TO THE ASSY.

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