A C441 incurred nose gear damage caused by an improperly operated electric tow cart.

Attributes
ACN	431947
Time
Date	199903
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bct.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Conquest I/Conquest II
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 1909 flight time type : 202
ASRS Report	431947
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Airport
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

After normal preflight and takeoff, I lifted gear knob. The 3 green lights went out. Lifted flap knob and then heard a clunk sound from the front of the plane. I recycled the gear and it seemed in order. We flew to naples (apf) at 12500 ft under radar control. I did a low approach and decided not to lower the gear, flew back to boca raton at 11500 ft under radar control. Landed at boca raton and kept all pressure off of the nosewheel. Taxied up to FBO, and upon inspection, saw damage to nose gear. Problem probably caused by improper towing with a strap around nose gear instead of through axle as instructed. This damaged or weakened nose uplocking system. Electric carts must not be used to tow. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was damaged before the flight by an electro tow cart which was used to move the aircraft by the FBO line service people. The reporter said the electro tow cart grasps the exposed piston of the nose gear strut with a strap and tows the aircraft. The reporter said no damage occurs if the correct size strap is used. The reporter stated if the larger strap is used and is greater in ht than the exposed piston, then the strap also covers a portion of the strut and some aluminum castings on the strut are damaged. The reporter said this type of damage occurs on cessna models 441, 421 and 402 nose struts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C441 INCURRED NOSE GEAR DAMAGE CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERLY OPERATED ELECTRIC TOW CART.

Narrative: AFTER NORMAL PREFLT AND TKOF, I LIFTED GEAR KNOB. THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS WENT OUT. LIFTED FLAP KNOB AND THEN HEARD A CLUNK SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE PLANE. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AND IT SEEMED IN ORDER. WE FLEW TO NAPLES (APF) AT 12500 FT UNDER RADAR CTL. I DID A LOW APCH AND DECIDED NOT TO LOWER THE GEAR, FLEW BACK TO BOCA RATON AT 11500 FT UNDER RADAR CTL. LANDED AT BOCA RATON AND KEPT ALL PRESSURE OFF OF THE NOSEWHEEL. TAXIED UP TO FBO, AND UPON INSPECTION, SAW DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR. PROB PROBABLY CAUSED BY IMPROPER TOWING WITH A STRAP AROUND NOSE GEAR INSTEAD OF THROUGH AXLE AS INSTRUCTED. THIS DAMAGED OR WEAKENED NOSE UPLOCKING SYS. ELECTRIC CARTS MUST NOT BE USED TO TOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED BEFORE THE FLT BY AN ELECTRO TOW CART WHICH WAS USED TO MOVE THE ACFT BY THE FBO LINE SVC PEOPLE. THE RPTR SAID THE ELECTRO TOW CART GRASPS THE EXPOSED PISTON OF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WITH A STRAP AND TOWS THE ACFT. THE RPTR SAID NO DAMAGE OCCURS IF THE CORRECT SIZE STRAP IS USED. THE RPTR STATED IF THE LARGER STRAP IS USED AND IS GREATER IN HT THAN THE EXPOSED PISTON, THEN THE STRAP ALSO COVERS A PORTION OF THE STRUT AND SOME ALUMINUM CASTINGS ON THE STRUT ARE DAMAGED. THE RPTR SAID THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE OCCURS ON CESSNA MODELS 441, 421 AND 402 NOSE STRUTS.

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.