Wheel failure (x-post aopa)

ejensen

ejensen

Pattern Altitude
Gone West
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
2,390
Location
Fort Collins, CO
Display Name
Display name:
Eric Jensen
I got real luck Saturday. Wheel failed not just the tire. Flew down to Jeffco (BJC) for the start of an air rally. Line of planes waiting, I slowly move up to #1. I'm cleared for takeoff, take my feet off the brakes and start on the throttle. There is a loud pop and the nose sinks a few inches. Tell the tower, shut down, and see the front tire is flat. Closer inspection reveled that wheel had failed, spilt in half. Thirty seconds later I'd have been doing 40 or so. Didn't get to race but the plane is in one piece. We were back in the air 6 hours later and made dinner at Jackpot (06U). But that's another story.
 

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Wow! Glad to hear all is well, and really glad to hear this happened when it did and not 40 knots later or even worse, on touch down! How much prop clearance did you have after everything came apart?
 
gkainz said:
Wow! Glad to hear all is well, and really glad to hear this happened when it did and not 40 knots later or even worse, on touch down! How much prop clearance did you have after everything came apart?
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Between 4 and 5 inches. I was really concern at first but no prop hit. Except being home it couldn't have happened in a better place. When I get time I'll write up the rest of the story about how we got back in the air. GA pilots are a great community.
 
Scary. I'm glad the aviation gods were smiling on you! There's no way you could have caught that in preflight either.

I knew there was a reason I like skids better than wheels :yes:
 
RotaryWingBob said:
Scary. I'm glad the aviation gods were smiling on you! There's no way you could have caught that in preflight either.
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Hope it didn't use up the year's supply of good fortune.:(

No, you couldn't see existing cracks without breaking down the tire. Tire was put on 5 years ago. Might be worth taking apart every annual, at least for older wheels.
 
i had a feeling bob had posted something about skids! I have found that eliminating the propeller eliminates any and all fears of a prop strike :)
 
RotaryWingBob said:
Scary. I'm glad the aviation gods were smiling on you! There's no way you could have caught that in preflight either.

I knew there was a reason I like skids better than wheels :yes:
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Glad you are ok.

After the pop was there any deceleration or other noises?

But I am not too sure the aviation gods were smiling. had they maybe you would not have had the problem at all :dunno:
 
tonycondon said:
i had a feeling bob had posted something about skids! I have found that eliminating the propeller eliminates any and all fears of a prop strike :)
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True for a glider, Tony. A dynamic rollover will do things that are much worse (and expensive) as a prop strike though (ok, so maybe it's a wing strike, not a prop strike) :D
 
smigaldi said:
Glad you are ok.

After the pop was there any deceleration or other noises?

But I am not too sure the aviation gods were smiling. had they maybe you would not have had the problem at all :dunno:
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We'll your right, it would have been better to not happen at all. But the cracks were there and it was going some day. So better a virtual stop than anything else.

No, I doubt the wheel moved a full turn before the pop and drop. Just a few more seconds and I've have been turning onto the runway and accelerating.:eek:
 
From the pictures it looks like it was real thick metal. Were these aluminum wheels? I think of the billions of car wheels out there and how rare a full center split is.

This was a nose wheel so it did not even recieve the stress of flexing drum brakes (or any brakes at all).

What a blessing there were no more links left in that accident chain.
 
Glad you and the plane are OK Eric. :yes:
 
Dart said:
From the pictures it looks like it was real thick metal. Were these aluminum wheels? I think of the billions of car wheels out there and how rare a full center split is.

What a blessing there were no more links left in that accident chain.
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It is a standard Cleveland 500x5 aluminum wheel. If original to the plane it is 38 years old.

Ain't that the truth. And other than taking the wheels apart each annual, I can't think how I could have caught it.
 
Dart said:
From the pictures it looks like it was real thick metal. Were these aluminum wheels? I think of the billions of car wheels out there and how rare a full center split is...
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some of these wheels are cast from magnesium. good mechanical properties and very low density (light weight) but VERY prone to galvanic corrosion. wouldn't surprise me to find that the cracks were old and due to corrosion from moisture.

i've read stories about high pressure wheels (jets) that fracture due to stress corrosion or cracks. the shrapnel can kill people standing 100' away. :eek:

good idea to split the wheels every other year and inspect for cracks/corrosion. then touch up with some chromate primer and re-paint. looks clean and it's good insurance.

hope this helps!
 
I posted a reply over on Red.

I had two mains fracture on the sides, causing the tires to rub against the brakes - with similar results. These fractures happened about 2 years apart to 30 year old wheels. Nosewheel has been replaced.

I'm thinking wheels might be a regular replacement item after so many years.
 
wsuffa said:
I posted a reply over on Red.

I had two mains fracture on the sides, causing the tires to rub against the brakes - with similar results. These fractures happened about 2 years apart to 30 year old wheels. Nosewheel has been replaced.

I'm thinking wheels might be a regular replacement item after so many years.
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I'm agreeing with that and have done so....
 
bbchien said:
I'm agreeing with that and have done so....
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I'm going down for annual in a couple weeks. I will take the mains apart and inspect, minimum. After I see what the nose costs, I might replace. This well hidden stuff is scary. I don't think we'd have been hurt but I bet I'd have messed up the plane.

The A&P said the other half might be usable. NO WAY. I said I want my wife to fly with me again.
 
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