A piper PA32-260 experienced extensive nose gear damage due to the turn limits being exceeded while ...

Attributes
ACN	374416
Time
Date	199707
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jac
State Reference	WY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	374416
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Tied down at ZZZ on grass by FBO. Later moved to ramp day before departure. Noted on preflight, hole in speed fairing nose gear fairing by torque link 'elbow' bolt on one side. Thought at time had just rubbed through. Shortly after takeoff, noted very poor performance (vsi 150 FPM). Attributed to load, density altitude, air moisture, etc, then noted T&B bell to one side. Quickly applied rudder and trim to center bell and remove hard over slip. Climb quickly improved. Proceeded home. 11 more hours and 3 uneventful lndgs! At cruise or descent, noted occasional severe rudder hard over, but just kept feet on rudder and corrected. Attributed to nose fairing warpage, which caused the hole to be 'rubbed' in one side. No taxi or landing problem. Next week the manufacturer of nose fairing took the fairing off and found it had not been rubbed, but rather busted by a bent torque link. We removed the cowling and found the shimmy damper had broken and bracket bent and broken. All due to overrotating on towing or probably pushing at jac. Will have to inspect push rods and engine mount now and at least replace torque link and shimmy damper. Also lost 10 KTS in cruise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA32-260 EXPERIENCED EXTENSIVE NOSE GEAR DAMAGE DUE TO THE TURN LIMITS BEING EXCEEDED WHILE BEING TOWED INTO A PARKING AREA.

Narrative: TIED DOWN AT ZZZ ON GRASS BY FBO. LATER MOVED TO RAMP DAY BEFORE DEP. NOTED ON PREFLT, HOLE IN SPD FAIRING NOSE GEAR FAIRING BY TORQUE LINK 'ELBOW' BOLT ON ONE SIDE. THOUGHT AT TIME HAD JUST RUBBED THROUGH. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, NOTED VERY POOR PERFORMANCE (VSI 150 FPM). ATTRIBUTED TO LOAD, DENSITY ALT, AIR MOISTURE, ETC, THEN NOTED T&B BELL TO ONE SIDE. QUICKLY APPLIED RUDDER AND TRIM TO CTR BELL AND REMOVE HARD OVER SLIP. CLB QUICKLY IMPROVED. PROCEEDED HOME. 11 MORE HRS AND 3 UNEVENTFUL LNDGS! AT CRUISE OR DSCNT, NOTED OCCASIONAL SEVERE RUDDER HARD OVER, BUT JUST KEPT FEET ON RUDDER AND CORRECTED. ATTRIBUTED TO NOSE FAIRING WARPAGE, WHICH CAUSED THE HOLE TO BE 'RUBBED' IN ONE SIDE. NO TAXI OR LNDG PROB. NEXT WK THE MANUFACTURER OF NOSE FAIRING TOOK THE FAIRING OFF AND FOUND IT HAD NOT BEEN RUBBED, BUT RATHER BUSTED BY A BENT TORQUE LINK. WE REMOVED THE COWLING AND FOUND THE SHIMMY DAMPER HAD BROKEN AND BRACKET BENT AND BROKEN. ALL DUE TO OVERROTATING ON TOWING OR PROBABLY PUSHING AT JAC. WILL HAVE TO INSPECT PUSH RODS AND ENG MOUNT NOW AND AT LEAST REPLACE TORQUE LINK AND SHIMMY DAMPER. ALSO LOST 10 KTS IN CRUISE.

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.

A piper PA32-260 experienced extensive nose gear damage due to the turn limits being exceeded while being towed into a parking area.