Service difficulty report · Centering Mech · Piper PA24250

Difficulty date
April 29, 2016
Submitted
May 31, 2016
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N7619P
Make and model
Piper PA24250
Aircraft serial
242830
Part
Centering Mech
Part number
2172500
Condition
Bent
Location
Nlg
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 COLLAPSED ON ROLL-OUT. THE NOSE GEAR CENTERING MECHANISM CONSISTS OF A CHANNEL THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE STRUT AND A ROLLER BEARING THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE ACFT STRUCTURE. THE CHANNEL IS CRACKED AND DISPLACED. AS THE NOSE GEAR MADE ITS LAST RETRACT CYCLE, THE ROLLER BEARING DID NOT CATCH THE CHANNEL. INSTEAD THE ROLLER BEARING RODE ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE CHANNEL WHICH ALLOWED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSY TO GO INTO THE WHEEL WELL AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE NLG WAS FORCED AND JAMMED INTO THE WHEEL WELL. DUE TO THE SUBSEQUENT RESISTANCE TO THE LANDING GEAR RETRACT MOTOR AS IT PUSHED ON THE LANDING GEAR INPUT ROD, THE INPUT ROD WAS BENT, PUTTING THE LANDING GEAR SYS OUT OF RIG. WHEN THE PILOT CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN, THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND DUE TO BEING JAMMED INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL. WHEN THE PILOT EXECUTED THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION PROCEDURE, THE NOSE GEAR MADE IT TO A DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE INPUT ROD BEING SHORTENED BY THE BEND, THE MLG DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE LOCKED POSITION.

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