Pilot of experimental vz-10 experiences a nosegear retraction extension rod failure. Gear would not ...

Narrative:

After takeoff, started to retract nosegear but nothing happened. Visual check by another aircraft revealed that it was hanging loose with the retraction rod. This is not normal and indicates that the retraction rod had broken or separated from the turn crank. It also meant that the nosegear would fail on landing. During flight to home airport (O45) I reviewed emergency procedures for nosegear failure on landing. Notified O45 CTAF of situation and that I would be disabled on the runway. Upon arrival, circled airport to clear traffic and made normal CTAF calls. On short final shut down engine to minimize thrust and landed. Nosegear failed and retracted into the wheelwell. Aircraft skidded to a stop next to an intersecting taxiway. Exited aircraft and had the runway clear within 1 min. Postflt inspection revealed that the nosegear #24 rod had separated at a weld connection. No damage to aircraft. A vz-10 (vari eze) has a rubber nose skid for just such failures. The nosegear retraction rod (nosegear #24) is very hard to fully inspect during annual inspections. However, it has been on the aircraft for 18 yrs and had approximately 700 hours of flying. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was one of a group of 4 aircraft on departure from mce. The problem was readily idented by one of the other aircraft. Most of the other vz-10's have a worm gear drive. This retraction rod was a steering gear from a 1964 corvair. The postflt inspector stated that the weld was not done properly. The original weld being a 'cold' process versus a 'hot' weld. (Yet the 'faulty' weld held for 17 yrs.) the rubber nose skid was designed for placing the aircraft on its nose so that the aircraft doesn't move when parked. Had the nosewheel not centered on the landing and retracted into the wheelwell, the aircraft would have been damaged. Reporter gave the information related to this incident to a west and east coast group of vz-10 owners that act as an 'ad' system, so the appropriate personnel have been alerted to this event. The aircraft has since been repaired with a 'hot' weld which '...should last forever.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL VZ-10 EXPERIENCES A NOSEGEAR RETRACTION EXTENSION ROD FAILURE. GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT BUT WOULD ALSO FAIL ON LNDG. EMER LNDG MADE AT O45, CA, AFTER CTAF CALLED AND PROB REVIEWED.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, STARTED TO RETRACT NOSEGEAR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. VISUAL CHK BY ANOTHER ACFT REVEALED THAT IT WAS HANGING LOOSE WITH THE RETRACTION ROD. THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND INDICATES THAT THE RETRACTION ROD HAD BROKEN OR SEPARATED FROM THE TURN CRANK. IT ALSO MEANT THAT THE NOSEGEAR WOULD FAIL ON LNDG. DURING FLT TO HOME ARPT (O45) I REVIEWED EMER PROCS FOR NOSEGEAR FAILURE ON LNDG. NOTIFIED O45 CTAF OF SIT AND THAT I WOULD BE DISABLED ON THE RWY. UPON ARR, CIRCLED ARPT TO CLR TFC AND MADE NORMAL CTAF CALLS. ON SHORT FINAL SHUT DOWN ENG TO MINIMIZE THRUST AND LANDED. NOSEGEAR FAILED AND RETRACTED INTO THE WHEELWELL. ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP NEXT TO AN INTERSECTING TXWY. EXITED ACFT AND HAD THE RWY CLR WITHIN 1 MIN. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE NOSEGEAR #24 ROD HAD SEPARATED AT A WELD CONNECTION. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. A VZ-10 (VARI EZE) HAS A RUBBER NOSE SKID FOR JUST SUCH FAILURES. THE NOSEGEAR RETRACTION ROD (NOSEGEAR #24) IS VERY HARD TO FULLY INSPECT DURING ANNUAL INSPECTIONS. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN ON THE ACFT FOR 18 YRS AND HAD APPROX 700 HRS OF FLYING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS ONE OF A GROUP OF 4 ACFT ON DEP FROM MCE. THE PROB WAS READILY IDENTED BY ONE OF THE OTHER ACFT. MOST OF THE OTHER VZ-10'S HAVE A WORM GEAR DRIVE. THIS RETRACTION ROD WAS A STEERING GEAR FROM A 1964 CORVAIR. THE POSTFLT INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE WELD WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY. THE ORIGINAL WELD BEING A 'COLD' PROCESS VERSUS A 'HOT' WELD. (YET THE 'FAULTY' WELD HELD FOR 17 YRS.) THE RUBBER NOSE SKID WAS DESIGNED FOR PLACING THE ACFT ON ITS NOSE SO THAT THE ACFT DOESN'T MOVE WHEN PARKED. HAD THE NOSEWHEEL NOT CTRED ON THE LNDG AND RETRACTED INTO THE WHEELWELL, THE ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. RPTR GAVE THE INFO RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT TO A WEST AND EAST COAST GROUP OF VZ-10 OWNERS THAT ACT AS AN 'AD' SYS, SO THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THIS EVENT. THE ACFT HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED WITH A 'HOT' WELD WHICH '...SHOULD LAST FOREVER.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	365705
Time
Date	199704
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o45
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 35 controller supervisory : 20 flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	365705
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Pilot of experimental vz-10 experiences a nosegear retraction extension rod failure. Gear would not retract but would also fail on landing. Emergency landing made at O45, ca, after CTAF called and problem reviewed.