Broken, Loose, Failed

The pilot was making a left turn in front of a hangar. He pulled the control wheel full aft to take the weight off the front wheel and the control wheel broke off in his hand. The break formed across the wheel, from the lower left to the upper right. Control wheel p/n: 0513168-2.

Editorial Staff

Monday, February 23, 2009 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Multiple mechanical failures were reported across various aircraft, including a broken control wheel on a Cessna 172A and a fractured main gear torque link on a Piper PA28-140.
Several incidents indicated manufacturing or maintenance quality control issues, such as improperly torqued fuel-servo plugs found on multiple Cessna 172S/T206 models and a failed, brittle oil-cooler gasket on a Cessna 210.
The reports highlight the importance of diligent inspections and component lifespan management, with findings like a cracked nose gear drag link on a Piper PA-44-180 and a main gear torque link operating past its suggested retirement time.

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Cessna 172A

Broken Control Wheel

Part Total Time: (unknown).

Cessna 210

Failed Oil-Cooler Gasket

An oil cooler adapter gasket failed in flight, causing two quarts of oil to be pumped into the engine cowling within an hour. The IO-520 was a factory remanufactured