Mag Failures

The nosegear collapsed on landing. The nosegear actuator was removed and tested in a controlled environment. When the actuator was cold-soaked, the microswitch (p/n 1CH16) failed to activate properly, giving a false indication the gear was down and locked. Due to gear failure, both aircraft propellers struck the ground, causing sudden stoppage to the engines. The aircraft also suffered structural damage to the nose section.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A Cessna 402C experienced a nose gear collapse caused by a microswitch failing when cold, resulting in propeller strikes and structural damage.
An SR22 suffered two consecutive magneto distributor gear failures on both engines within a short period, a fault not addressed by mandatory replacement in the overhaul manual.
Other reported issues included a Piper Meridian's missing nose gear torque link bolt and a cracked cylinder on a Piper PA-28-180's engine.

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Cessna 402C
Failed Nose Gear Microswitch
The nosegear collapsed on landing. The nosegear actuator was removed and tested in a controlled environment. When the actuator was cold-soaked, the microswitch (p/n 1CH16) failed to activate properly, giving a false indication the gear was down and locked. Due to gear failure, both aircraft propellers struck the ground, causing sudden stoppage to the engines. The aircraft also suffered structural damage to the nose section.
Part Total Time: 352.0 hours