Failed And Worn

Inspection of the sidewall structure revealed a failed crosstie at fuselage station 227.125. The part cracked fully in two pieces and is deformed from its original flat shape, apparently from compression. Two rivets immediately above the break have failed. No other crossties (p/n 101-420013-1122) display any deformation, cracking or evidence of preload.Part Total Time: 8186 hours

Editorial Staff

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Multiple aircraft models experienced diverse critical mechanical failures, including a cracked fuselage crosstie, fractured landing gear power pack, and worn engine components.
Specific incidents involved a Piper Turbo Arrow making a gear-up landing due to a failed landing gear power pack and a Lycoming fuel pump leaking oil.
Structural integrity issues were noted, such as cracked rear wing spars in a Taylorcraft, possibly linked to prior impact damage, necessitating extensive inspection.
These reports highlight a spectrum of component failures, ranging from material fatigue and wear (crankshaft gear, fuselage crosstie) to manufacturing defects (solder joint) and long-term damage (wing spars).