Service difficulty report · Spring · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
August 13, 2007
Submitted
October 24, 2007
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft time
4,038 hours
Engine
Lyc O360A1H
Propeller
Hartzl HCC2YR2
Part
Spring
Part number
487495
Condition
Broken
Location
Downlock Spring
Component
Mlg · Piper · 7872322
Stage of operation
AP
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
L

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

What was found

(CAN) ON A LANDING APPROACH, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE LT (GREEN) GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWED DOWN ON FINAL THE (GEAR) UNSAFE LIGHT CAME ON. THE PILOTS ELECTED TO GO AROUND AND INFORMED FLIGHT SERVICES ABOUT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS INFORMED ALSO. MAINTENANCE WAS NOTIFIED AND SPOKE DIRECTLY TO THE PILOTS. IT WAS LEARNED THAT AN EMERGENCY EXTENSION WAS CARRIED OUT AND THE RESULT WAS THE SAME. IT WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED THAT THE LT MAIN GEAR WAS GOING FULL TRAVEL AND JUST NOT LOCKING DOWN. IT WAS DECIDED TO HAVE THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION KNOB PUSHED BACK INTO ITS NORMAL POSITION AND THE GEAR RETRACTED AND EXTENDED HYDRAULICALLY. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT A DECISION TO LAND WAS MADE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WAS FOLLOWED BY THE FIRE CREW TO THE HANGAR. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE LT MAIN LANDING GEAR IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DOWNLOCK SPRING WAS BROKEN AT THE UPPER END. THIS SPRING IS WHAT PULLS THE DOWNLOCK HOOK ONTO THE PIN AND PUSHES THE PLUNGER ON THE GEAR INDICATION SWITCH. THE SPRING WAS REPLACED, GEAR RETRACTIONS AND EXTENSIONS WERE CARRIED OUT NORMALLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETUNED TO SERVICE. DURING ROUTINE AND DETAILED LANDING GEAR INSPECTIONS THE SPRING ENDS SHOULD BE CLOSELY INSPECTED. (TC NR 20070815001)

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