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The nose gear of a PA38 collapsed and departed the aircraft after takeoff. A mechanic responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft cites towing abuse and excessive side loading as cause of failure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 313242 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199508 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : leb |
| State Reference | NH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : cpr |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-38 Tomahawk |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other personnel other |
| ASRS Report | 313242 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 313244 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
A piper tomahawk, maintained by this shop, was flown by a student pilot on her first solo cross country. When she departed to return home, the nose gear assembly departed the airplane as the bolt in the scissor failed. On inspection it appears that the bolt failed due to abuse during towing and was aggravated by a hard landing with significant side loading. Manufacturing/defect report will be filed to alert FAA. The pilot should have properly preflted the airplane at leb. The break was so clean that the scissor had to appear abnormal prior to the last leg of her flight. Supplemental information from acn 313244: the aircraft shows evidence of hard lndgs (it is a primary trainer), but new evidence of side loading. Significant evidence of towing abuse exists, the tow 'eyes' are elongated and peened over.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE NOSE GEAR OF A PA38 COLLAPSED AND DEPARTED THE ACFT AFTER TKOF. A MECH RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINT OF THE ACFT CITES TOWING ABUSE AND EXCESSIVE SIDE LOADING AS CAUSE OF FAILURE.
Narrative: A PIPER TOMAHAWK, MAINTAINED BY THIS SHOP, WAS FLOWN BY A STUDENT PLT ON HER FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY. WHEN SHE DEPARTED TO RETURN HOME, THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE AS THE BOLT IN THE SCISSOR FAILED. ON INSPECTION IT APPEARS THAT THE BOLT FAILED DUE TO ABUSE DURING TOWING AND WAS AGGRAVATED BY A HARD LNDG WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE LOADING. MANUFACTURING/DEFECT RPT WILL BE FILED TO ALERT FAA. THE PLT SHOULD HAVE PROPERLY PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE AT LEB. THE BREAK WAS SO CLEAN THAT THE SCISSOR HAD TO APPEAR ABNORMAL PRIOR TO THE LAST LEG OF HER FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 313244: THE ACFT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF HARD LNDGS (IT IS A PRIMARY TRAINER), BUT NEW EVIDENCE OF SIDE LOADING. SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF TOWING ABUSE EXISTS, THE TOW 'EYES' ARE ELONGATED AND PEENED OVER.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.