Service difficulty report · Arm · Piper PA28R180

Difficulty date
February 25, 2015
Submitted
February 25, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N7578J
Make and model
Piper PA28R180
Aircraft serial
28R30967
Aircraft time
4,159 hours, 2,000 cycles
Engine
Lyc IO360B1E
Part
Arm
Part number
6710900
Condition
Binding
Location
Landing Gear
Part time
4,159 hours, 2,000 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

LANDING GEAR EXTENDED FOR LANDING. PILOT REPORTED NO NLG LOCK INDICATION. AFTER LANDING, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE. DURING THE LANDING PHASE THE NOSE GEAR WAS PUSHED BACK INTO WHEEL WELL, WHICH BUILT PRESSURE CAUSING MLG TO UNLOCK AND COLLAPSE. UPON RETRIEVING ACFT FROM RUNWAY, EMERGENCY EXTENSION ALLOWED LANDING GEAR TO DROP AND LOCK, ALLOWING ACFT TO BE TOWED FROM RUNWAY. ACFT WAS RAISED ON JACKS TO INVESTIGATE ISSUE. FOUND SPRING ARM ASSEMBLY, P/N 67109-00 HANGING UP ON ROLLER ON ENGINE MOUNT. DISCOVERED ARM DIDN'T HAVE A RADIUS ON AFT SIDE TO ASSIST ROLLING OFF ROLLER AND WOULD HANG UP, NOT ALLOWING GEAR TO EXTEND AND LOCK. ADDING A .250" RADIUS STARTING AT 0.4" AFT OF FORWARD SIDE OF ARM WOULD ALLOW SMOOTH OPERATION OF NLG IN RETRACT AND EXTEND OPERATIONS.

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