Bad Day at Boeing Field

Al & Deb Paxhia · Post by **Al & Deb Paxhia** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 pm

After a uneventful touch down, it appears that the landing gear saddle bolt
failed. As I was turning left at about 10 MPH, the left gear leg swung under
the airplane and broke off. The plane spun around to the right with the
prop and wing on the runway. I am really bummed!
Al

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brian amendala · Post by **brian amendala** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 pm

Wow Al, That just makes me sick. I am truly sorry, I hope the damage isn't
too extensive. Hopefully you will be back in the air soon. Good luck.
Brian

From: "Al & Deb Paxhia" <paxhia2@attbi.com>
Reply-To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: Bad Day at Boeing Field
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 17:24:22 -0700

After a uneventful touch down, it appears that the landing gear saddle bolt
failed. As I was turning left at about 10 MPH, the left gear leg swung
under
the airplane and broke off. The plane spun around to the right with the
prop and wing on the runway. I am really bummed!
Al

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Walter Klatt · Post by **Walter Klatt** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 pm

Hey, Al, I know the feeling, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Hopefully,
you do have hull insurance, and if so, I might have some advice for you.
When this happened to me, I had a professional shop do all the work, but in
hindsight should have done it myself. The shop charged a fortune for what
they did, and I had to hound them constantly, to get it done in 5 months
time. I could have done it myself with a few weeks of work. I did end up
with a freshly overhauled engine for just the cost of parts, so in the end
thought I came out alright, and the plane is as good or better than new.

Your insurance company should allow you to do the work yourself after an
estimate, and with any luck, you could make some money in the end. Anyway,
just a thought, and hopefully you get it back flying quickly.

-----Original Message-----
From: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com [mailto:murphy-rebel@dcsol.com]On Behalf Of
Al & Deb Paxhia
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 5:24 PM
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: Bad Day at Boeing Field

After a uneventful touch down, it appears that the landing gear saddle bolt
failed. As I was turning left at about 10 MPH, the left gear leg swung under
the airplane and broke off. The plane spun around to the right with the
prop and wing on the runway. I am really bummed!
Al

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Wayne G. O'Shea · Post by **Wayne G. O'Shea** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 pm

Well Al, if you weren't a drinking man before I have a feeling you may be by
now!!!

Sorry to hear about things like this, especially to a brand new toy. Like
Walter already stated, "I know the feeling" and it takes some time before
the stomach stops rolling.

Sounds like the SR <MAY> have a similar gear leg problem as the C180/185's
do (that the PPonk upgrades address by putting the main leg bolt into double
shear). I know it's hard to tell, once it has ripped out, but do you figure
the saddle bolt broke first or did the main gear attach bolt let go first
and then the leg cleaned out the saddle and bolts on it's way out?

Not questioning your flying in anyway but was there ANY landing or take off
that got a little squirrelly that would have put a side load (read inward)
on the gear leg. This is what happens on the C180/185's and it deforms the
single main attach bolt, that is only designed to hold the leg against the
block. When it gets an inward push it puts the bolt in tension and or shear.
If a previous landing/takeoff got sideways the bolt may have been tweaked
enough to twist off the rest of the way when you hit the brakes this time.

Hopefully the damage was minimal (if there can be such a thing) and you can
sort out the reason for the failure and share it with us when you have the
"want" to tackle it.

Get a hold of Brian Godden, at MAM, and go through the details with him to
sort things out and of course let us all know how you make out.

Regards,
Wayne G. O'Shea
www.irishfield.on.ca

----- Original Message -----
From: "Al & Deb Paxhia" <paxhia2@attbi.com>
To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 8:24 PM
Subject: Bad Day at Boeing Field

After a uneventful touch down, it appears that the landing gear saddle

bolt

failed. As I was turning left at about 10 MPH, the left gear leg swung

under

the airplane and broke off. The plane spun around to the right with the
prop and wing on the runway. I am really bummed!
Al

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Al & Deb Paxhia · Post by **Al & Deb Paxhia** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 pm

There have been several squirrelly landings prior to this one, but none were
like t/w training in the Maule. The saddle bolts are -4's, one bolt is still
in the bracket, the other bolt stripped the threads out of the nut. The
main -9 bolt is stretched and is still in the gear leg with a nut on it. It
looks like the saddle went first and the gear pivoted on the big bolt. Then
it pulled the big bolt out of the carrythru. There is damage to rim and
axle where it was face down on the pavement.
I did notice that the fast builds have larger bolts -5's in the saddle.
I will know more after it's opened up. I suspect that what happened on the
left has started to work on the right also.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne G. O'Shea" <oifa@irishfield.on.ca>
To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 6:54 PM
Subject: Re: Bad Day at Boeing Field

Well Al, if you weren't a drinking man before I have a feeling you may be

by

now!!!

Sorry to hear about things like this, especially to a brand new toy. Like
Walter already stated, "I know the feeling" and it takes some time before
the stomach stops rolling.

Sounds like the SR <MAY> have a similar gear leg problem as the C180/185's
do (that the PPonk upgrades address by putting the main leg bolt into

double

shear). I know it's hard to tell, once it has ripped out, but do you

figure

the saddle bolt broke first or did the main gear attach bolt let go first
and then the leg cleaned out the saddle and bolts on it's way out?

Not questioning your flying in anyway but was there ANY landing or take

off

that got a little squirrelly that would have put a side load (read inward)
on the gear leg. This is what happens on the C180/185's and it deforms the
single main attach bolt, that is only designed to hold the leg against the
block. When it gets an inward push it puts the bolt in tension and or

shear.

If a previous landing/takeoff got sideways the bolt may have been tweaked
enough to twist off the rest of the way when you hit the brakes this time.

Hopefully the damage was minimal (if there can be such a thing) and you

can

sort out the reason for the failure and share it with us when you have the
"want" to tackle it.

Get a hold of Brian Godden, at MAM, and go through the details with him to
sort things out and of course let us all know how you make out.

Regards,
Wayne G. O'Shea
www.irishfield.on.ca

----- Original Message -----
From: "Al & Deb Paxhia" <paxhia2@attbi.com>
To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 8:24 PM
Subject: Bad Day at Boeing Field

After a uneventful touch down, it appears that the landing gear saddle
bolt
failed. As I was turning left at about 10 MPH, the left gear leg swung
under
the airplane and broke off. The plane spun around to the right with the
prop and wing on the runway. I am really bummed!
Al

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Al & Deb Paxhia · Post by **Al & Deb Paxhia** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:12 pm

A quick note to let everyone know whats up. I talked to Brian and Darryl,
this AM and took them through what happened. They are comming down to
Seattle on Monday so we can figure out went wrong. I will keep you posted
after they have a look and we know more.
Al

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Rick DeCiero · Post by **Rick DeCiero** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:13 pm

Al,
Too bad about that incident but thankfully you were not hurt. You weren't
were you? I assume that you meant your saddle bolts were AN4's not -4's. And
that your inner bolt was an AN6 and not a -9. My rebel S/N 404R has 5/16 saddle
bolts and an AN6 (3/8) inner bolt. This has been a weak area for some time. I
think I will upsize my inner bolt to AN7 (7/16 dia) because it is easy. I may
not be able to upsize the saddle bolts very easily because I think the crush
tubes will spin if I try to updrill them to 3/8. I need to really look at that
to see what I can do. So much for that tough bush plane that you got sucked
into buying eh.
Good luck you'll need it,
Rick D.

Al & Deb Paxhia wrote:

There have been several squirrelly landings prior to this one, but none were
like t/w training in the Maule. The saddle bolts are -4's, one bolt is still
in the bracket, the other bolt stripped the threads out of the nut. The
main -9 bolt is stretched and is still in the gear leg with a nut on it. It
looks like the saddle went first and the gear pivoted on the big bolt. Then
it pulled the big bolt out of the carrythru. There is damage to rim and
axle where it was face down on the pavement.
I did notice that the fast builds have larger bolts -5's in the saddle.
I will know more after it's opened up. I suspect that what happened on the
left has started to work on the right also.

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