Service difficulty report · Bulkhead · Cessna 140A

Difficulty date
August 26, 2009
Submitted
August 26, 2009
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N9467A
Make and model
Cessna 140A
Aircraft serial
15469
Aircraft time
2,685 hours, 2,685 cycles
Part
Bulkhead
Part number
04130003
Condition
Cracked
Location
Zone 100
Part time
2,865 hours, 1 cycles
Stage of operation
LD
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

UPON LANDING, RT GEAR COLLAPSED. UPON EXAMINATION, FOUND THAT (BULKHEAD ASSY - LANDING GEAR) HAD FAILED. SPECIFICALLY, STRUCTURE IMMEDIATELY UNDER GEAR THAT SANDWICHES GEAR IN PLACE FAILED. UPON EXAMINATION OF FAILED PART, FOUND SEVERAL CRACKS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR SOME TIME. CRACKS WERE PREEXISTIING TO THE ACCIDENT. ILLUSTRATED PARTS LIST DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY THE PART THAT FAILED, FAILED PART IS PART OF THE LARGER ASSY (BULKHEAD ASSY - LANDING GEAR). SUBJECT AREA OF FAILURE IS NOT EASY TO INSPECT, GEAR WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED AND DYE PENETRATED TO FIND CRACKS IN THE STRUCTURE. ACFT JUST CAME OUT OF ANNUAL INSP. ACFT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION, BUT OVER 50 YEARS OLD, DEFINITELY AN AGING AIRCRAFT ISSUE. A REVIEW OF SDRS FOR THE SAME MAKE AND OTHER MFG PRODUCTS DID NOT REVEAL A CRONIC PROBLEM.

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