c404 wheels up at Tindal

[topend3]

anyone hear about a titan doing a gear up at tindal yesterday, heard it going into gove with an uc problem and then diverting to tindal where i am told they did a gear up landing. apparently was a victorian based titan doing aerial survey work???

[Pushin_Tin]

Seems that the air bottle gear actuator didn't!

The PIC heaved till the handle bent, to no avail. The system didn't work as it should.

[gaunty]

But did he follow the checklist.
and assuming the preflight revealed that there was a proper charge.

Airspeed - 130 KIAS or less.

Landing Gear switch - DOWN

Gear Hyd Circuit Breaker - PULL

then and only then

Emergency Gear Extension T-handle - PULL

No breaker pulled, unlikely Gear will blow down, have look at the system diagram. The gas will go every where but where it will do the most good.

It is a very simple system, almost idiot proof if properly maintained.:D

[gaunty]

BIK-116.80

Eeeerm I seem to recall that gear extension in one of them ones was fairly critical in relation to the position of your ball. :D lest the door depart therefrom. :D :p

Their is no practical limit to the gear extension speed or position of ones ball in NORMAL ops for the Cessna.:cool: :)

[nitelife]

I recall a situation at Parafield a few years back involving a C402C (same gear extension system), where the system was used correctly, but still failed to extend. System had been incorrectly maintained. Very expensive mistake.

[High Altitude]

Think you'll find it was the rigging to the bottle...

[5 Left & Right]

Simple in theory...........definately not idiot proof.

But in reality a very poor design.

The cable is routed around far too much before it gets to the nitro bottle.

The 'handle' lacks adequate support and you can bend the whole panel if you pull hard enough.

Most importantly is the technique, a short violent tug is req'd. Simply pulling on the handle wont do it.

Poor bugga!

[gaunty]

I said, almost idiot proof.

The bottle is just forward of the firewall on the pilot side with almost a direct route to it from the T handle which, if properly serviced and rigged, does not need a "short violent tug" nor should it be necessary to bend the whole panel to operate it.

I must admit I missed Pushin Tins comment and I apologise to the PIC.

The PIC heaved till the handle bent, to no avail.

Its the old story, if you think maintenance is expensive the results of the lack of, makes ones eyes water.

I would be happier if I knew that the PIC had pulled the breaker anyway, as this is about the only other way of defeating a pretty simple system and has been the cause of more than a few uneccessary prop and aerial repairs notwithstanding the bottle having been fired.

[Trash Hauler]

Re: The N2 discharge


Having worked on the system as a LAME and had the joy of certifying it as serviceable I can attest to the fact that it is a design problem with the discharge of the bottle. (and this has been documented in defect reports to CASA)

The force on the release pin (which the cable has to pull) is considerable as it has the 2000 PSI N2 applied at 90 degrees to the direction of the pin.

The cable is a straight pull so you (the pilot) do not have any mechanical advantage.

The system is operated annually with the aircraft on jacks and all the ones I have tested did work but you had to give it a mighty sharp heave to achieve the discharge.

Cheers

Trash Hauler