Service difficulty report · Spring · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
November 17, 2002
Submitted
December 2, 2002
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft time
1,864 hours
Part
Spring
Part number
6716800
Condition
Broken
Location
Nlg
Stage of operation
AP
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

(CAN) A STUDENT PILOT SELECTED LANDING GEAR DOWN, WHEN IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TOOK APPROX. 2 MIN. TO EXTEND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED SAFELY AND MAINTENANCE WAS NOTIFIED. IT WAS NOTICE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOWN ASSIST SPRINGS WERE POSITIONED DIFFERENTLY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE INNER SPRING WAS BROKEN AND WAS JAMMING THE OUTER SPRING, THUS RESULTING IN THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TOOK TO LOWER THE GEAR. IT IS SPECULATED THAT THE BUILD UP OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE FINALLY PUSHED THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. BOTH THE INNER AND OUTER SPRINGS WERE REPLACED NEW. IT IS BELIEVED THAT CYCLES AND FATIGUE CONTRIBUTED TO SPRING BREAKING.

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