----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- OK folks,
Here is a follow up to all your
questions.
The landing was on a grass strip. No cross wind. The touch
down was normal and not hard. On roll out I felt a sharp pull to the left and
that is when I believe it broke. I still had speed and some lift and my right
brake and yes, my RUDDER PEDAL, were fully depressed to the
floor. This kept me straight until I slowed down enough to loose lift. At this
point the plane settled to the left, but because I had wheel pants, (
Thank you Stefan! ) the fairing part wrapped around the broken part of the
spring that was still attached, and acted like a skid. So the metal stub did not
dig into the ground at any time. She slid on the one side and rolled on the
other. Due to the fact that it was a freshly mowed grass strip and the amount of
cantilever the wings have, no damage occurred. My pitot tube is intact and
nothing major was damaged.
Yes, the spring gear failure was due to
metal fatigue. It cracked 1/2 way between the area where it bolts to the wing,
and the wheel attachment. There was evidence of old hairline cracks in
it.
I was told by Larry Kruljac (a very long
time owner of an M-10 and Ercoupes) that many were recalled by the Mooney
factory when they first came out, due to this problem. They were replaced
by the trailing gear that was an option.
I have been unable to find anyone that is
willing to sell me a new or used left spring gear. So I will be forced to
convert to the trailing gear. I have found this available locally and the gear
is being picked up today.
The only other damage
to her was some skin damage to the underside of her wing where the (still
attached by the brake line) wheel banged it before being torn totally
loose. This should be easy to repair.
In the meantime, "Merry Wings"
was removed from the tall grass and blackberry bushes yesterday. Dave removed
the gear and took it off the wheel, and my son welded it back together with a
very strong metal splint. Then they reassembled everything and rebolted it back
on her. Then she was back on her own 3 wheels and was towed and pushed to a
tiedown.
Hopefully my A&P can put her new gear
on her very soon and she will be again airworthy. She looks much better out of
the bushes!
NOW! My advice to all you spring
gear owners....Have your gear checked! I was told that there is a method
of applying dye to the metal (while on the plane) that can show if this problem
exists or you can have them magnafluxed.
My little incident turned out to be very
minor in the scheme of things, but in the right (or wrong) place, could have
been fatal!
If the right one instead of the left one
had broken...I would have headed right into tied down airplanes and cars and
hangars. I could have had a prop strike and/or a fire depending on what I
hit.
This is a wake up call
to all of us. Our birds are not young. Metal fatigue CAN happen. And any one of
the thousands of landings our birds have had, could have been the one that
started that crack....or it could have been from the factory.
Thanks to all of you for all of your concerns and words
of support, offers of parts and help. I appreciate all
of you!
I met Rod Machado earlier this month and he autographed
my book, "May all your landings be as soft as a butterfly with sore
feet." Considering the circumstances we DID have a soft
landing.
Thank you Rod...and I wish the same to all of us.
Thanks again to ALL of you........Mary
__________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics |
