Service difficulty report · Tube · Cessna 172S

Difficulty date
February 3, 2010
Submitted
February 3, 2010
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N52519
Make and model
Cessna 172S
Aircraft serial
172S10903
System (JASC)
3245 · Tire Tube
Part
Tube
Part number
G156006
Part serial
RU6251288
Condition
Flat
Location
Tire
Part time
269 hours
Stage of operation
LD
How discovered
9
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

DURING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS, PILOTS REPORTED TO HEAR A STRANGE NOISE IN THE LANDING GEAR AT ROTATION AFTER SECOND LANDING. REMAINDER OF FLIGHT WAS NONEVENTFUL. AFTER NORMAL LANDING TOUCHDOWN AND ACFT DECELERATION, ACFT STARTED VEERING TO THE LT OF CTR. LT MAIN TIRE WAS OBSERVED TO BE FLAT. ACFT WAS TAXIED TO FIRST AVAILABLE TURNOFF AND ENGINE WAS STOPPED AFTER ACFT WAS CLEAR OF ACTIVE RUNWAY. WHEEL AND TIRE ASSY WAS REPLACED WITH SPARE AND ACFT OPERATION CONTINUED. DEFECTIVE WHEEL DISASSEMBLED AND INNER TUBE SHOWED SIGNS OF CHAFING AGAINST THE INNER WALL OF THE TIRE TO A POINT THAT THE TUBE BECAME SO THIN THAT A RESULTING BOLE IN THE TUBER ALLOWED DEPRESSURIZATION OF THE TIRE. INSTALLED TUBE SEEMED TO BE TOO SMALL OF A DIAMETER WHEN DEFLATED INSIDE THE TIRE. OLDER TUBES WERE BIGGER AND FILLED MORE OF THE TIRE WHEN DEFLATED. THE TUBES AVAILABLE NOW DO NOT SEEM TO FILL ENOUGH OF THE AREA WITHIN THE TIRE CAVITY PRIOR TO INFLATION. MFG LITERATURE CLAIMS THAT THIS TUBE IS FOR BOTH 6.00-6 AND 15X6.00-6 TIRES, BUT THE TUBES FIT DIFFERENTLY IN BOTH. THE TUBES SEEM TO BE TOO SMALL FOR A STANDARD 6.00-6 TIRE.

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