Service difficulty report · Torque Link · Piper PA31

Difficulty date
December 16, 2006
Submitted
January 19, 2007
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA31
Aircraft time
17,638 hours
Engine
Lyc TIO540A1B
Propeller
Hartzl HCE2YR2
Part
Torque Link
Part number
4025700
Condition
Broken
Location
Rt Mlg Strut
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

(CAN) THE PILOT REPORTED NOTICING A VIBRATION DURING TAXI BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO RUNWAY CONDITION. IN FLIGHT HE WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. UPON LANDING HE WAS UNABLE TO EXECUTE TURNS. AFTER DEPLANING HE FOUND THE FORWARD LUG ON THE UPPER TORQUE LINK OF THE RT MLG BROKEN. THE TORQUE LINK ASSEMBLY WAS HELD IN PLACE ONLY BY THE BOTTOM TORQUE LINK ATTACH BOLT. THE BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE UPPER TORQUE LINK WAS MISSING ALONG WITH THE BROKEN LUG. A CAUSE COULD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE HANGER. (TC NR 20061217001)

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