CAMP SPRINGS, MD, USA
N32613
PIPER PA-28R-200
DURING A FLT TO PREPARE THE STUDENT FOR A CFI CHECK RIDE, BOTH THE STUDENT AND THE CFI COULD NOT OBTAIN A GREEN LIGHT CONFIRMING THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO ASSURE IT WAS DOWN AND LOCKED THE ACFT WAS LANDED AT ANDREWS AFB. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING AND THE ACFT SLID OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. EXAMINATION REVEALED A SKEWED WEAR PATTERN DEEP WITHIN THE SLOT OF THE NOSE GEAR ALIGNER GUIDE. THE ENTIRE SLOT WAS FOUND TWISTED IN A DIRECTION CONSISTENT WITH DEFORMATION AT ITS UPPER END OF ONE OF THE GUIDE WALLS. THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SLOT WALL WHICH CONTAINED THE DEFORMATION AT ITS UPPER END REVEALED MARKS CONSISTENT WITH SHORT TERM CONTACT WITH THE ALIGNMENT BUSHING WHICH NORMALLY RIDES WITHIN THE SLOT. IF THE BUSHING DID NOT ALIGN WITH ITS GUIDE DURING RETRACTION AND BENT ONE OF THE GUIDE WALLS IT MAY CAUSE THE GEAR TO FAIL TO FULLY EXTEND.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
