- Joined
- Aug 21, 2010
- Messages
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Had the nose gear disassembled and inspected at annual back in June due to persistent slow "collapse" over time and suspected leakage of both gas and fluid. Performance since annual has been good, with extension stable and within SM specs. Have flown probably two dozen or so takeoff/landing cycles since then with no issues.
Yesterday, after having some avionics work done, I took the plane up for a check ride with the tech. Nose strut was within spec during preflight, but when we landed, the strut remained fully-extended on rollout. After clearing the runway, I rolled forward a bit and applied brakes to shake it loose and drop the nose, with no effect.
Taxied back to the shop "popping a wheelie" the whole way. After shutdown, a couple of the shop guys tried to get the strut to fall by pulling down on the nose, tapping the scissors with a rubber mallet, and otherwise trying to "jiggle" the assembly.
The strut appears to be frozen solid in place.
I flew it home from the avionics shop and my regular mechanic will be taking a look at it this week, but we're all sort of at a loss for what in the assembly could be keeping the strut fully extended even under load.
The scissors and exposed portion of the strut appear undamaged to me (nothing is obviously wrinkled, bent, or otherwise out of whack).
Thoughts?
Yesterday, after having some avionics work done, I took the plane up for a check ride with the tech. Nose strut was within spec during preflight, but when we landed, the strut remained fully-extended on rollout. After clearing the runway, I rolled forward a bit and applied brakes to shake it loose and drop the nose, with no effect.
Taxied back to the shop "popping a wheelie" the whole way. After shutdown, a couple of the shop guys tried to get the strut to fall by pulling down on the nose, tapping the scissors with a rubber mallet, and otherwise trying to "jiggle" the assembly.
The strut appears to be frozen solid in place.
I flew it home from the avionics shop and my regular mechanic will be taking a look at it this week, but we're all sort of at a loss for what in the assembly could be keeping the strut fully extended even under load.
The scissors and exposed portion of the strut appear undamaged to me (nothing is obviously wrinkled, bent, or otherwise out of whack).
Thoughts?
