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02-09-2014, 03:52 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 405
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Failure of Nose Gear (now with bolt pics)
RV6A, 1995, O320, constant speed prop, almost 1200 hrs TTAE
Failure in shear of the bolt at the top of the strut during taxi. Strut rotated 180 degrees. I'm told by a more experienced RV owner that this may be a rare event. When I'm flying again I'll be checking or replacing the bolt regularly!
Carl
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flytoday
RV7A - purchased flying 05/2020
RV6A - purchased flying 07/2011
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02-09-2014, 04:00 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 1,029
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Thanks for the post
First time I have heard of this particular failure -- just installed my Antisplat gear leg reinforcement ---- now I need to look at the mounting bolt.
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RV-10 Co-built, maintained, flown (sold)
RV-8A Maintained and flown (Sold)
RV-6A Bought and Flying (N177RV), upgrades $$$
IO360, 180HP/CS, AFS 5600T, D10A, G650, G430, G327, ADS-B, VIZ385 AP
Very Happy Contributor
Comm, SMEL, CFII, A&P
Based at KCLW (Clearwater, FL)
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02-09-2014, 04:02 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,151
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Wow that's not fun thanks for sharing Carl. My nose gear takes a beating on regular basis I will check the bolt immediately next time I am in the hangar.
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02-09-2014, 04:26 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 94
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That is weird.. I don't know the math but how much pressure would it take to shear that bolt .. thats amazing.
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02-09-2014, 04:28 PM
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VAF Moderator / Line Boy
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
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I have seen the bolts holding the tailwheel knuckle to the spring shear before - the tailwheel rotates around 90 degrees and the plane settles when that happens. Those are a pair of AN3's. Never heard of Carl's failure before.
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Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
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02-09-2014, 04:52 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NC25
Posts: 3,507
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Not the first
I have seen another RV-6A that had the same bolt shear.
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Gary A. Sobek
NC25 RV-6 Flying
3,400+ hours
Where is N157GS
Building RV-8 S/N: 80012
To most people, the sky is the limit.
To those who love aviation, the sky is home.
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02-09-2014, 04:54 PM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flytoday
Failure in shear of the bolt at the top of the strut during taxi.
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Did you actually find the bolt sheared, or was the bolt missing and you deduced that it must have sheared???
Have you ever had the "shopping cart" wobble on the wheel??
Hard to imaging how that bolt could get enough loading to shear it.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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02-09-2014, 04:54 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 1,419
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rather than failure in shear, is it possible that the nut came off and the bolt backed out?
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02-09-2014, 04:57 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,151
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Could it be possible to overtigthen/overstretch the bolt to weaken enough for shear failure? I can picture myself doing it.
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02-09-2014, 04:58 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 405
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I recovered the sheared bolt and a washer from under the plane. Bolt end had the nut still on it. I might be able to informally get a lab to examine the failure plane. No prior shopping cart wobble.
__________________
flytoday
RV7A - purchased flying 05/2020
RV6A - purchased flying 07/2011
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Last edited by flytoday : 02-09-2014 at 05:00 PM.
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