X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 01:33:33 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from [216.148.227.89] (HELO rwcrmhc12.comcast.net) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.3.6) with ESMTP id 180021 for lml@lancaironline.net; Tue, 19 Jul 2005 00:28:14 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=216.148.227.89; envelope-from=bjburr@mwheli.com Received: from vaio (c-67-186-218-101.hsd1.ut.comcast.net[67.186.218.101]) by comcast.net (rwcrmhc14) with SMTP id <20050719041210014009po88e>; Tue, 19 Jul 2005 04:12:10 +0000 From: "Bryan J. Burr" X-Original-To: , Subject: Nose gear collapse X-Original-Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 22:05:58 -0600 X-Original-Message-ID: <00f701c58c17$2b132aa0$0300a8c0@VAIO> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00F8_01C58BE4.E078BAA0" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.2627 Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00F8_01C58BE4.E078BAA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit After 6 long hard months of body work, paint, polish, frustration, and hard hard work I finally was able to again start flying a few hours on my Super ES N132BB. She is a beautiful airplane. Right up until the point that the nose gear entered into a violent shimmy and then collapsed. It started at about 30 knots during the landing rollout. There was other traffic following me in the pattern. PVU has a new tower and the controller was requesting expedited departure of the runway. But nothing beyond ordinary braking and deceleration was applied. I got it slowed to about 15 knots when the aft nose gear support brace broke at the weldments. The gear strut folded backwards and the engine oil pan resting on the aftward collapsed strut became the support for the airplane. It tracked straight down the runway. There is no damage beyond the prop, engine, engine mount, nose gear strut and front wheel pant. Not even the spinner was touched but the 4 blade MT prop is nothing but stubs. It was not under power and was rotating at about 750 rpm. I had just completed a very thorough condition / annual inspection. I had given particular close attention to the nose gear and strut because of recent reports of nose wheel shimmy. I had completely serviced the strut with fresh Belray 30 wt fork oil, I had purged all of the old oil (50 hours old) by compressing the strut several times with teh valve stem removed, pressurized the strut with nitrogen, worked out all of the air by compressing the strut several times and also turning it from right to left using the dual sheet metal and grease sandwich method. All of the air had been purged. The strut was sitting extended at 2.75 - 3.0 inches with the full weight of the engine, prop, cowling, etc. I had put a lot of time into looking at the engine mount and all of the attaching points of the nose gear. I had rechecked all of the torque on all hardware. I had increased to max pressure 50 psi on the nose tire. I had made 7-8 landings since starting to fly the airplane again. All landings were very light and "picture perfect". I had always held the nose wheel off until it lowered itself and I continued to maintain full aft elevator during the rollout. I don't know what was different for this roll out that set up the shimmy as compared to the several other landings made Saturday and today. There is not one thing that I can point to that created this situation. One thing is certain, nose wheel shimmy is real and it causes landing gear failure. I had hoped to make Oshkosh. But perhaps next year. Bryan N132BB Leaving 100% to 80% and still building. ------=_NextPart_000_00F8_01C58BE4.E078BAA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message
After = 6 long hard=20 months of body work, paint, polish, frustration, and hard hard work I = finally=20 was able to again start flying a few hours on my Super ES N132BB.  = She is a=20 beautiful airplane.  Right up until the point that the nose=20 gear entered into a violent shimmy and then collapsed.  It = started at=20 about 30 knots during the landing rollout.  There was other traffic = following me in the pattern.  PVU has a new tower and the = controller=20 was requesting expedited departure of the runway.  But nothing = beyond=20 ordinary braking and deceleration was applied.  I got it slowed to = about 15=20 knots when the aft nose gear support brace broke at the weldments.  = The=20 gear strut folded backwards and the engine oil pan resting on the = aftward=20 collapsed strut became the support for the airplane.  It = tracked=20 straight down the runway.  There is no damage beyond the prop, = engine,=20 engine mount, nose gear strut and front wheel pant.  Not even the = spinner=20 was touched but the 4 blade MT prop is nothing but stubs. It was not = under power=20 and was rotating at about 750 rpm.
 
I had = just completed=20 a very thorough condition / annual inspection.  I had given = particular=20 close attention to the nose gear and strut because of recent reports of = nose=20 wheel shimmy.  I had completely serviced the strut with fresh = Belray 30 wt=20 fork oil, I had purged all of the old oil (50 hours old) by compressing = the=20 strut several times with teh valve stem removed, pressurized the strut = with=20 nitrogen, worked out all of the air by compressing the strut several = times and=20 also turning it from right to left using the dual sheet metal and grease = sandwich method.  All of the air had been purged.  The strut = was=20 sitting extended at 2.75  - 3.0 inches with the full weight of the = engine,=20 prop, cowling, etc.  I had put a lot of time into looking at the = engine=20 mount and all of the attaching points of the nose gear.  I had = rechecked=20 all of the torque on all hardware.  I had increased to max pressure = 50 psi=20 on the nose tire.
 
I had = made 7-8=20 landings since starting to fly the airplane again.  All landings = were very=20 light and "picture perfect".  I had always held the nose wheel off = until it=20 lowered itself and I continued to maintain full aft elevator during the=20 rollout.  I don't know what was different for this roll out that = set up the=20 shimmy as compared to the several other landings made Saturday and = today. =20 There is not one thing that I can point to that created this=20 situation.
 
One = thing is=20 certain, nose wheel shimmy is real and it causes landing gear=20 failure.
 
I had = hoped to make=20 Oshkosh.  But perhaps next year.
 
Bryan
N132BB = Leaving 100%=20 to 80% and still building.
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