Service difficulty report · Cylinder · Piper PA28180

Difficulty date
March 11, 2011
Submitted
March 22, 2011
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N4517T
Make and model
Piper PA28180
Aircraft serial
287205177
Aircraft time
6,958 hours
Part
Cylinder
Part number
6531904
Condition
Broken
Location
Rt Mlg
Part time
6,958 hours
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

RT MLG LOWER STRUT FELL OFF WHEN ACFT LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY AT 2H2. STUDENT PILOT FLEW AND LANDED RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE UPPER LANDING GEAR STRUT HSG. WHEN LOWER STRUT DEPARTED UPPER HSG, IT STRUCK THE FLAP, DAMAGING FLAP SKIN. RT MLG UPPER TORQUE LINK MOUNTING EARS BROKE OFF THE CYL ALLOWING LOWER GEAR LEG TO FALL OUT OF UPPER CYL AND DEPART ACFT. THIS CAST ALUMINUM CYL IS ORIGINAL. THE INBD EAR APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY BROKEN FOR SOME TIME. ONCE IT BROKE ALL THE WAY, THE OTBD EAR COULD NOT SUPPORT THE TWISTING FORCES APPLIED DURING NORMAL TURNS DURING TAXI AND TORQUE DURING TAKEOFF. I FEEL THIS LED TO THE OTBD EAR BREAKING OFF, AND ON THE TAKEOFF, THE GEAR LEFT THE ACFT. THIS UPPER TORQUE LINK ATTACH POINT IS COVERED WITH A FAIRING, PREVENTING THE PILOT FROM SEEING ANY DEFECTS DURING PREFLIGHT.

More about the Piper PA 28-180