DASH- 8 gurus opinion

[bnot]

Gentleman and Ladies
Has anyone seen this kind of damage to the nose wheel strut of the Dash and possible causes.
Any info would be appreciated .

[robertw]

Looks to me like the oleo compressed enough to allow the outer casting to contact the piston cap at a high enough velocity to cause the damage. Possible causes, oleo wasn't serviced correctly / seals leaking, pilot planted the nose a little too firmly. Don't forget to file an SDR.

[YYCAME]

I'm just guessing but it could be a result of an oleo improperly serviced with fluid before topping it up with nitrogen, allowing it to compress very violently despite the appearance of proper extension. Let us know if you find out the actual cause though.

[bnot]

will do..thanks for the input..it has happened to the same tail 3 times in 6 months from temps at +20 to -50 and on gravel ops.

[Gyroscopic]

Temperatures won't have anything to do with it... You said it yourself, same bird 3 times in 6 months.. First place I would look is your oleo servicing practices post replacement... It's been done wrong 3 times in a row now and you've got the numbers to prove it!!

Good luck!

[YYCAME]

Sometimes people get lazy and when they see a little puddle of fluid under a compressed strut they just keep topping it up with nitrogen to get it flying again. Maybe it's just a scratch on the chrome or some dirt wearing down the seals but this is unusual to see once, let alone three times in a year on the same aircraft. Sounds like some human factors either in the supply chain or installation etc.