Narrative:

Aircraft X was in the shop for an annual inspection. A mechanic with very little columbia experience; and no factory training was working under me to help complete the annual inspection. One mechanic removed the wheels; another repacked the bearings and installed the main wheels back on the aircraft. The original mechanic installed the nosewheel assembly and wheel pant. Due to the design of the nose strut fork and the fact that there is no parts manuals on the columbia aircraft. The mechanic did not realize that he had left the axle out of the nose strut. I checked safety and torque on the bearings and we set the aircraft back down on the ground. The nose tire and wheel assembly acted fine. Due to the design of the strut assembly you could not tell that the axle was missing. I completed the final inspection on the aircraft. Signed the log books off and released the aircraft. The aircraft flew several fights before the nose gear got to wobbling and the tire blew out at ZZZ. I received the call that the nose tire had blown out and damaged the wheel; nose fork and wheel pant. They stated that they could not find the axle; but that all safeties were in place. We found the axle in the solvent tank. The maintenance manual shows the axle but is somewhat unclear. The aircraft was towed to a hangar for repairs. The blow out occurred on takeoff roll and the pilot was able to control the aircraft.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the construction of nose landing gear fork has depressions in the inside of the fork that hold the axle bearing bushings and between the bushing is an axle spacer that covers the axle bolt. The axle bushings clamped the wheel bearings in place and appeared normal in every respect and the missing axle bolt was not discovered during the final inspection. One problem with the columbia aircraft is while it has a maintenance manual the manufacturer has no illustrated parts catalog for component buildup reference. When a part is needed the manufacturer is called and the part described and ordered but with no part number.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COLUMBIA LC42 WAS DISPATCHED FROM AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WITH NOSE LNDG GEAR AXLE NOT INSTALLED. SEVERAL FLTS LATER THE NOSE TIRE BLEW OUT AND DAMAGED THE WHEEL; NOSE FORK AND WHEEL PANT.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS IN THE SHOP FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. A MECHANIC WITH VERY LITTLE COLUMBIA EXPERIENCE; AND NO FACTORY TRAINING WAS WORKING UNDER ME TO HELP COMPLETE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. ONE MECHANIC REMOVED THE WHEELS; ANOTHER REPACKED THE BEARINGS AND INSTALLED THE MAIN WHEELS BACK ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE ORIGINAL MECHANIC INSTALLED THE NOSEWHEEL ASSEMBLY AND WHEEL PANT. DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE NOSE STRUT FORK AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO PARTS MANUALS ON THE COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT. THE MECHANIC DID NOT REALIZE THAT HE HAD LEFT THE AXLE OUT OF THE NOSE STRUT. I CHECKED SAFETY AND TORQUE ON THE BEARINGS AND WE SET THE AIRCRAFT BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND. THE NOSE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY ACTED FINE. DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE STRUT ASSEMBLY YOU COULD NOT TELL THAT THE AXLE WAS MISSING. I COMPLETED THE FINAL INSPECTION ON THE AIRCRAFT. SIGNED THE LOG BOOKS OFF AND RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW SEVERAL FIGHTS BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR GOT TO WOBBLING AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT AT ZZZ. I RECEIVED THE CALL THAT THE NOSE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT AND DAMAGED THE WHEEL; NOSE FORK AND WHEEL PANT. THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE AXLE; BUT THAT ALL SAFETIES WERE IN PLACE. WE FOUND THE AXLE IN THE SOLVENT TANK. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL SHOWS THE AXLE BUT IS SOMEWHAT UNCLEAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO A HANGAR FOR REPAIRS. THE BLOW OUT OCCURRED ON TAKEOFF ROLL AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CONSTRUCTION OF NOSE LNDG GEAR FORK HAS DEPRESSIONS IN THE INSIDE OF THE FORK THAT HOLD THE AXLE BEARING BUSHINGS AND BETWEEN THE BUSHING IS AN AXLE SPACER THAT COVERS THE AXLE BOLT. THE AXLE BUSHINGS CLAMPED THE WHEEL BEARINGS IN PLACE AND APPEARED NORMAL IN EVERY RESPECT AND THE MISSING AXLE BOLT WAS NOT DISCOVERED DURING THE FINAL INSPECTION. ONE PROBLEM WITH THE COLUMBIA ACFT IS WHILE IT HAS A MAINT MANUAL THE MANUFACTURER HAS NO ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG FOR COMPONENT BUILDUP REFERENCE. WHEN A PART IS NEEDED THE MANUFACTURER IS CALLED AND THE PART DESCRIBED AND ORDERED BUT WITH NO PART NUMBER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.