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's nose gear collapsed due to a microswitch that failed to activate when cold, giving a false "gear down and locked" indication, leading to propeller strikes and structural damage.
A Piper PA-46-500TP Meridian experienced vibrations due to a missing bolt, nut, washer, and cotter key from its nose landing gear torque link.
On the same aircraft, both Continental S6RSC-25P magnetos failed within hours of each other due to distributor gear failure, a part without a mandatory replacement schedule.
A Superior SL36006WA1E cylinder failed due to a crack extending from the top spark plug hole through the exhaust valve seat, causing a loss of compression.

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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