A C402 on landing rollout at low speed the aircraft experienced a runway excursion and loss of contr...

Attributes
ACN	398087
Time
Date	199804
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Cessna 402/402C/B379 Businessliner/Utiliner
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	398087
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On apr/xz/98 I was landing runway 12 at vgt. After landing, the left main gear started to wobble. I had the aircraft slowed to 7- 10 KTS just about to exit when the left main twisted sideways due to a bolt breakage, and the aircraft veered off the runway and settled in the dirt. I had the engines shut down right before we left the runway. The FAA found the missing bolt down the runway. Factors included a strong crosswind. I think the problem with the bolt was due to many different pilots flying the same aircraft day in and day out on grand canyon tours, which in turn might have weakened the bolt days before. I think I made proper judgement landing on a crosswind runway that tower assigned since I've logged several thousand lndgs before without any incident. The winds when I landed were 220 degrees at 15 KTS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that on landing rollout the aircraft started to wobble and the reporter slowed the aircraft and shut down the engines. The reporter said the cause of the left main gear failure was the torque link's apex bolt fracture allowing the strut piston to turn 90 degrees. The reporter stated the FAA recovered the bolt segments from the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402 ON LNDG ROLLOUT AT LOW SPD THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A RWY EXCURSION AND LOSS OF CTL CAUSED BY A FAILED L MAIN LNDG GEAR TORQUE LINK APEX BOLT.

Narrative: ON APR/XZ/98 I WAS LNDG RWY 12 AT VGT. AFTER LNDG, THE L MAIN GEAR STARTED TO WOBBLE. I HAD THE ACFT SLOWED TO 7- 10 KTS JUST ABOUT TO EXIT WHEN THE L MAIN TWISTED SIDEWAYS DUE TO A BOLT BREAKAGE, AND THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY AND SETTLED IN THE DIRT. I HAD THE ENGS SHUT DOWN RIGHT BEFORE WE LEFT THE RWY. THE FAA FOUND THE MISSING BOLT DOWN THE RWY. FACTORS INCLUDED A STRONG XWIND. I THINK THE PROB WITH THE BOLT WAS DUE TO MANY DIFFERENT PLTS FLYING THE SAME ACFT DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON GRAND CANYON TOURS, WHICH IN TURN MIGHT HAVE WEAKENED THE BOLT DAYS BEFORE. I THINK I MADE PROPER JUDGEMENT LNDG ON A XWIND RWY THAT TWR ASSIGNED SINCE I'VE LOGGED SEVERAL THOUSAND LNDGS BEFORE WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. THE WINDS WHEN I LANDED WERE 220 DEGS AT 15 KTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT ON LNDG ROLLOUT THE ACFT STARTED TO WOBBLE AND THE RPTR SLOWED THE ACFT AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. THE RPTR SAID THE CAUSE OF THE L MAIN GEAR FAILURE WAS THE TORQUE LINK'S APEX BOLT FRACTURE ALLOWING THE STRUT PISTON TO TURN 90 DEGS. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA RECOVERED THE BOLT SEGMENTS FROM THE RWY.

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.

A C402 on landing rollout at low speed the aircraft experienced a runway excursion and loss of control caused by a failed left main landing gear torque link apex bolt.