X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from mail-oa0-f52.google.com ([209.85.219.52] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 6.0.7) with ESMTPS id 6586668 for lml@lancaironline.net; Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:24:33 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=209.85.219.52; envelope-from=billhogarty@gmail.com Received: by mail-oa0-f52.google.com with SMTP id o6so3062282oag.11 for ; Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:23:57 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=yLzqEUOjGK6ar52BTTngCrujKnYLQ3AM3QI3/zqwvPI=; b=I1QPZwHxkGW3k2ljH5dJX1onQLP2ReS+DIEEmIj1EiXuju0qsZURfLdNKtRBnQqd4c 7fuz+T8rmrDVHq9C87XdL6bCNeXI2uQuwjhlQRAxdpK2qfETDxn3X4v8Rgp3q64zQzzF hxtLeyPXu9pkwc00K7uQGBPBpyv3MeiVLQDFyQvwNhCjZADh/9CRsW0u3MGL2uzG+11e syU1ao4Z45LOjJgugHRMFoIySJRtS1pDbFsWzOzdW84ouB5lUDRD3eLEmhMkXuB73Rbk tm3Sf6EPuzo8/tru3LS2mQqxsKU1UkEXL/CcFUwNFeIdpKFRanxQWqtmY8JrlgaxsBzK j08A== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.182.237.75 with SMTP id va11mr32150113obc.5.1384277037731; Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:23:57 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.182.225.169 with HTTP; Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:23:57 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:23:57 -0800 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [LML] N181AM nose gear collapse From: "William A. Hogarty" To: Lancair Mailing List Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=e89a8ff1c99e1ad88c04eafe1da7 --e89a8ff1c99e1ad88c04eafe1da7 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable adam Welcome to the club.but sorry to hear. Bill Hogarty On Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 4:22 AM, Adam Molny wr= ote: > Sadly, following a fuel stop in Coshocton, Ohio (i40) on Nov 1, my > Legacy had an uncommanded nose gear retraction. The engine wasn=92t runni= ng > but the propeller was damaged. My poor plane is currently sitting 400 mil= es > away in Ohio while the prop is out for repair. > > > > *Symptoms* > > A few weeks before the incident I extended the gear for landing and the > pump kept running after all three were down and locked. I could hear that > the pump was in bypass mode. When laying out the panel I installed the 2A > gear relay breaker front and center next to the actuator switch so that I > could easily practice emergency gear extensions. So I promptly pulled the > 2A breaker. Guess what =96 the pump kept running! I had to ask my mom to = pull > the 40A hydraulic pump breaker since it is on the far right side of the > instrument panel. That stopped the pump. Since I was at a strange airport= I > borrowed a screwdriver, removed the baggage bulkhead and began > troubleshooting. A few raps on the faulty relay with a screwdriver handle > fixed the problem. These are the Boschrelays that were recommended on the LML back in = the late 90=92s. > > > > It happened a second time a week or so later. This time I was flying righ= t > seat working on my CFI-I. I pulled the 40A breaker then reset it and my > instructor was none the wiser. I ordered replacement relays (approx $25ea= ). > The relays arrived shortly before I had to leave on a trip and there wasn= =92t > time to install them. > > > > *The Incident* > > I was headed from KHWV to 1H0, an 800+ mile trip, for LOBO instructor > training and bucking a 45kt headwind with plenty of turbulence. Like most > 2-seat Lancairs my pump will occasionally blip in flight if the hydraulic > pressure sags. This time the pump blipped and kept running. Once again I > had to have my passenger pull the 40A breaker. We briefed the plan for > extending the gear. I would select gear down, then he would reset the 40A > breaker, then I would reset the 2A breaker. We completed those steps but > the gear did not extend. I flew an upwind leg at pattern altitude and > performed an emergency gear extension. We landed normally and refueled. > > > > My plan was to do some troubleshooting on the ground and pull the baggage > bulkhead access panel if necessary. I double- and triple-checked that the > gear selector switch was in the down position before turning on the maste= r. > The nose gear immediately retracted. It happens very fast since the nose > wheel is perfectly happy rolling backwards with practically no resistance= . > The mains don=92t move since they would have to be dragged sideways again= st > the pavement. The plan fell with a clang and came to rest on the two lowe= r > prop tips of my three-bladed Aerocomposites prop. The lower cowl and nose > gear doors never touched the pavement. > > > > *The cause (speculative)* > > I believe the up relay contacts welded shut due to arcing. Since the down > relay was still working, selecting gear down closed the down relay so tha= t > the pump was being powered in both directions at once. This is why the ge= ar > didn=92t even try to extend in flight. I have an airspeed switch to preve= nt > inadvertent gear retraction below 90kts, but with the up relay welded shu= t > it had no effect. > > > > *The plan* > > The propeller is on its way to American Propeller Service for inspection > and repair. They will sand down the blades and inspect them to determine > the extent of the damage. They will also inspect the hub since it must ha= ve > taken considerable stress. Once the prop is back in Ohio I will fly out > there, fix the gear problem, and THEN reinstall the prop (how ugly would = it > be if the plane fell off the jacks onto a brand new prop!). > > > > *Choosing your fuel stop* > > We chose our fuel stop by looking at Foreflight for good fuel prices alon= g > our route of flight. Since this was only a fuel stop we didn=92t look at > other amenities. It turns out that Coshocton Ohio is quite rural and our > incident happened at 5pm on a Friday. The nearest rental car agency is in > Zanesville, 45 miles away. To make matters worse, the town is in the > middle of a 20-mile dead zone with no AT&T wireless coverage, making > communication with the outside world very difficult. It took fair amount = of > complicated logistics to get ourselves to a commercial airport for the tr= ip > home. > > > > *Choosing an experimental propeller* > > Since two blades were facing down, one blade struck the leading edge and > the other hit the trailing edge. The leading edge has a nickel alloy shea= th > that extends all the way to the tip. There was no visible damage. However > the other blade=92s trailing edge is very thin and flexible and was clear= ly > damaged. Aerocomposites is no longer making propellers. They sold their > technology to McCauley, but McCauley only plans to make certified props. > The prop shop told me my prop has a carbon fiber core with a fiberglass > outer layer. If only the fiberglass is damaged the prop will be repairabl= e. > If not I will have to either find a replacement blade somewhere or replac= e > the whole prop with another brand. > > > > *Insurance* > > My insurance is up for renewal on 11/23. The renewal premium was $3438 > against a $170,000 hull value. After the incident my premium was raised t= o > $3781. I suppose I can=92t complain since the repair bill will be in the > $6,000-7,000 range, assuming the prop is repairable. > > > > *Safety practices during maintenance* > > I=92m not sure what lessons I can pass along from this experience other t= han > to be extremely cautious when troubleshooting gear problems on the ground= . > The only way to be completely safe would have been to jack up the plane > before turning on the master. I found out later that the maintenance shop > at this field is only open M-F 7a-4p so very little assistance would have > been available until the following Monday regardless. > > > > -Adam Molny > > Legacy N181AM, 197.5 hrs and holding > > > --e89a8ff1c99e1ad88c04eafe1da7 Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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adam
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Welcome to the club.but sorry to hear.
=A0
Bill Hogarty


On Tue,= Nov 12, 2013 at 4:22 AM, Adam Molny <Adam@validationpartners.co= m> wrote:

= Sadly, following a fuel stop in Coshocton, Ohio (i40) on Nov 1, my Legacy had an uncommanded nose gear retraction. The engine wasn=92t running but the propeller was damaged. My poor plane is currently sitting 400 miles awa= y in Ohio while the prop is out for repair.

= =A0

Symptoms

= A few weeks before the incident I extended the gear for landing and the pump kept running after all three were down and locked. I could hear that the pump wa= s in bypass mode. When laying out the panel I installed the 2A gear relay breake= r front and center next to the actuator switch so that I could easily practice emergency gear extensions. So I promptly pulled the 2A breaker. Guess what = =96 the pump kept running! I had to ask my mom to pull the 40A hydraulic pump breaker since it is on the far right side of the instrument panel. That sto= pped the pump. Since I was at a strange airport I borrowed a screwdriver, remove= d the baggage bulkhead and began troubleshooting. A few raps on the faulty re= lay with a screwdriver handle fixed the problem. These are the = Bosch relays that were recommended on the LML back in the late 90=92s. =

= =A0

= It happened a second time a week or so later. This time I was flying right sea= t working on my CFI-I. I pulled the 40A breaker then reset it and my instruct= or was none the wiser. I ordered replacement relays (approx $25ea). The relays arrived shortly before I had to leave on a trip and there wasn=92t time to = install them.

= =A0

The Incident

= I was headed from KHWV to 1H0, an 800+ mile trip, for LOBO instructor training an= d bucking a 45kt headwind with plenty of turbulence. Like most 2-seat Lancairs my pum= p will occasionally blip in flight if the hydraulic pressure sags. This time = the pump blipped and kept running. Once again I had to have my passenger pull t= he 40A breaker. We briefed the plan for extending the gear. I would select gea= r down, then he would reset the 40A breaker, then I would reset the 2A breaker. We completed those steps but the gear did not extend. I flew an upwind leg at pattern altitude and performed an emergency gear extension. We landed norma= lly and refueled.

= =A0

= My plan was to do some troubleshooting on the ground and pull the baggage bulk= head access panel if necessary. I double- and triple-checked that the gear selec= tor switch was in the down position before turning on the master. The nose gear= immediately retracted. It happens very fast since the nose wheel is perfectly happy rol= ling backwards with practically no resistance. The mains don=92t move since they would have to be dragged sideways against the pavement. The plan fell with = a clang and came to rest on the two lower prop tips of my three-bladed Aerocomposites prop. The lower cowl and nose gear doors never touched the pavement.

= =A0

The cause (speculative)

= I believe the up relay contacts welded shut due to arcing. Since the down relay was s= till working, selecting gear down closed the down relay so that the pump was bei= ng powered in both directions at once. This is why the gear didn=92t even try to extend in flight. I have an airspeed switch to prevent inadvertent gear retraction below 90kts, but with the up relay welded shut it had no effect.=

= =A0

The plan

= The propeller is on its way to American Propeller Service for inspection and repair. They will sand down the blades and inspect them to determine the ex= tent of the damage. They will also inspect the hub since it must have taken considerable stress. Once the prop is back in Ohio<= /u> I will fly out there, fix the gear problem, and THEN reinstall the prop (how ugly would it be if the plane fel= l off the jacks onto a brand new prop!).

=A0

Choosing your fuel stop=

= We chose our fuel stop by looking at Foreflight for good fuel prices along our route of flight. Since this was only a fuel stop we didn=92t look at other amenities. It turns out that Coshocton Ohio is quite rural and our incident= happened at 5pm on a Friday. The nearest rental car agency is in Zanes= ville, 45 miles away. To make matters worse, the town is in the middle of a 20-mile dead zone with no AT&T wireless coverage, making communication with the outside world very difficu= lt. It took fair amount of complicated logistics to get ourselves to a commercial airport for the trip home.

=A0

Choosing an experimental propeller=

= Since two blades were facing down, one blade struck the leading edge and the othe= r hit the trailing edge. The leading edge has a nickel alloy sheath that exte= nds all the way to the tip. There was no visible damage. However the other blad= e=92s trailing edge is very thin and flexible and was clearly damaged. Aerocompos= ites is no longer making propellers. They sold their technology to McCauley, but McCauley only plans to make certified props. The prop shop told me my prop = has a carbon fiber core with a fiberglass outer layer. If only the fiberglass i= s damaged the prop will be repairable. If not I will have to either find a replacement blade somewhere or replace the whole prop with another brand.

=A0

Insurance

= My insurance is up for renewal on 11/23. The renewal premium was $3438 against= a $170,000 hull value. After the incident my premium was raised to $3781. I suppose I can=92t complain since the repair bill will be in the $6,000-7,00= 0 range, assuming the prop is repairable.

=A0

Safety practices during maintenance

= I=92m not sure what lessons I can pass along from this experience other than to b= e extremely cautious when troubleshooting gear problems on the ground. The on= ly way to be completely safe would have been to jack up the plane before turni= ng on the master. I found out later that the maintenance shop at this field is on= ly open M-F 7a-4p so very little assistance would have been available until th= e following Monday regardless.

= =A0

= -Adam Molny

= Legacy N181AM, 197.5 hrs and holding

=A0


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