Narrative:

In sep/96 I was operating in the bush approximately 73.5 mi northwest of illamna, ak, and shortly after landing I had taxied approximately 20 ft when the right axle broke and the wheel fell off. The right gear leg dug into the ground, the tail raised about 18 inches and the aircraft turned to the right approximately 45 degrees. If the axle had broken while landing the aircraft probably would have flipped over on its back doing major damage to the aircraft and possibly causing serious injury or death to me. After arriving back in anchorage, although my mechanic had installed gra-aeronautical tires which required steel axles and although the axle looked exactly like a steel axle, and a previous owner had told me that the aircraft had 185 landing gear on it, it was determined that the axle was made of aluminum. Because there are no part numbers on them, I have not been able to determine what type of aircraft the axles are from. It is suspected that they are off of a C159 or a C172. At the time that the axle broke, the brake disk on that wheel damaged the right gear leg by cutting a groove in it. While researching the part numbers it was determined that the gear legs for a C185 should be 0.75 inches thick. The gear legs that were on the aircraft were 0.68 inches thick as are the gear legs on cessnas of lighter gross weight. It was also pointed out to me that the bolts holding the axles to the gear legs were 'an' bolts and that much stronger 'NAS' bolts were required on that aircraft. My mechanic has replaced the landing gear legs, axles, and axle to landing bolts with the proper parts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C180 TAXIING AFTER LNDG HAD THE R MAIN GEAR AXLE FAIL AND THE WHEEL FELL OFF, INCURRING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE STRUT LEG.

Narrative: IN SEP/96 I WAS OPERATING IN THE BUSH APPROX 73.5 MI NW OF ILLAMNA, AK, AND SHORTLY AFTER LNDG I HAD TAXIED APPROX 20 FT WHEN THE R AXLE BROKE AND THE WHEEL FELL OFF. THE R GEAR LEG DUG INTO THE GND, THE TAIL RAISED ABOUT 18 INCHES AND THE ACFT TURNED TO THE R APPROX 45 DEGS. IF THE AXLE HAD BROKEN WHILE LNDG THE ACFT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK DOING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND POSSIBLY CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO ME. AFTER ARRIVING BACK IN ANCHORAGE, ALTHOUGH MY MECH HAD INSTALLED GRA-AERO TIRES WHICH REQUIRED STEEL AXLES AND ALTHOUGH THE AXLE LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE A STEEL AXLE, AND A PREVIOUS OWNER HAD TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT HAD 185 LNDG GEAR ON IT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AXLE WAS MADE OF ALUMINUM. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PART NUMBERS ON THEM, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF ACFT THE AXLES ARE FROM. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THEY ARE OFF OF A C159 OR A C172. AT THE TIME THAT THE AXLE BROKE, THE BRAKE DISK ON THAT WHEEL DAMAGED THE R GEAR LEG BY CUTTING A GROOVE IN IT. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PART NUMBERS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR LEGS FOR A C185 SHOULD BE 0.75 INCHES THICK. THE GEAR LEGS THAT WERE ON THE ACFT WERE 0.68 INCHES THICK AS ARE THE GEAR LEGS ON CESSNAS OF LIGHTER GROSS WT. IT WAS ALSO POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THE BOLTS HOLDING THE AXLES TO THE GEAR LEGS WERE 'AN' BOLTS AND THAT MUCH STRONGER 'NAS' BOLTS WERE REQUIRED ON THAT ACFT. MY MECH HAS REPLACED THE LNDG GEAR LEGS, AXLES, AND AXLE TO LNDG BOLTS WITH THE PROPER PARTS.

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.