Narrative:

Bought a new tow-bar from redline aviation...model st-1. This towbar fits into the center of the wheel and locks in there. I used towbar to take plane out of hangar. When removing towbar turned approximately three rotation to loosen. There are no instructions with towbar or warnings; but found out later you can only turn approximately 1 rotation. By turning more a piece separated and a piece was left in the inside of the wheel where it was not visible. Did not look at end of the towbar to see missing part when putting it away. Took off and flew to destination...when lowered gear heard noise and no front gear down green light (only 2 green) tried recycling gear with same result. Flew by tower who confirmed only 2 down. Tried manual gear extension and pulling positive and negative G's to get gear down. No luck; so set-up for landing with only two down. Shut off gas and then mixture on short final; pulled propeller back to low RPM; and prepared to land on mains. Held nose off runway as long as possible until it eventually landed without nose gear. Damage to plane was pretty minor; but propeller was destroyed and engine will need to be torn down and inspected. It turned out on inspection that the piece from the towbar had vibrated loose from inside the wheel and was blocking nose gear from coming down. While this is a poorly designed towbar and should come with a warning; if I had inspected the towbar more closely after removing it; I most likely would have noticed a part had come off. It would have been almost impossible to see the part inside the wheel; but would have been noticed missing at the towbar. I discussed what happened with the manufacturer and he indicated that this problem had occurred before. He promised to include an instruction manual and a warning sticker on products in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PART FROM TOW BAR LEFT IN NOSEWHEEL AXLE CAUSES NOSE GEAR TO JAM IN THE UP POSITION DURING FLT.

Narrative: BOUGHT A NEW TOW-BAR FROM REDLINE AVIATION...MODEL ST-1. THIS TOWBAR FITS INTO THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL AND LOCKS IN THERE. I USED TOWBAR TO TAKE PLANE OUT OF HANGAR. WHEN REMOVING TOWBAR TURNED APPROX THREE ROTATION TO LOOSEN. THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS WITH TOWBAR OR WARNINGS; BUT FOUND OUT LATER YOU CAN ONLY TURN APPROX 1 ROTATION. BY TURNING MORE A PIECE SEPARATED AND A PIECE WAS LEFT IN THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WHERE IT WAS NOT VISIBLE. DID NOT LOOK AT END OF THE TOWBAR TO SEE MISSING PART WHEN PUTTING IT AWAY. TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO DEST...WHEN LOWERED GEAR HEARD NOISE AND NO FRONT GEAR DOWN GREEN LIGHT (ONLY 2 GREEN) TRIED RECYCLING GEAR WITH SAME RESULT. FLEW BY TOWER WHO CONFIRMED ONLY 2 DOWN. TRIED MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION AND PULLING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE G'S TO GET GEAR DOWN. NO LUCK; SO SET-UP FOR LNDG WITH ONLY TWO DOWN. SHUT OFF GAS AND THEN MIXTURE ON SHORT FINAL; PULLED PROP BACK TO LOW RPM; AND PREPARED TO LAND ON MAINS. HELD NOSE OFF RWY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY LANDED WITHOUT NOSE GEAR. DAMAGE TO PLANE WAS PRETTY MINOR; BUT PROP WAS DESTROYED AND ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE TORN DOWN AND INSPECTED. IT TURNED OUT ON INSPECTION THAT THE PIECE FROM THE TOWBAR HAD VIBRATED LOOSE FROM INSIDE THE WHEEL AND WAS BLOCKING NOSE GEAR FROM COMING DOWN. WHILE THIS IS A POORLY DESIGNED TOWBAR AND SHOULD COME WITH A WARNING; IF I HAD INSPECTED THE TOWBAR MORE CLOSELY AFTER REMOVING IT; I MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE NOTICED A PART HAD COME OFF. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE PART INSIDE THE WHEEL; BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED MISSING AT THE TOWBAR. I DISCUSSED WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND HE INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED BEFORE. HE PROMISED TO INCLUDE AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL AND A WARNING STICKER ON PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.