N282ST

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 6, 2020, about 1420 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-46-600TP, N282ST, sustained minor damage when it was involved in an incident near Leesburg, Virginia. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that the wind was “straight down the runway” when he landed on runway 35 at the Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO), Leesburg, Virginia. While continuing straight during the landing roll, the airplane “went careening to the left.” He stated that the right brake locked, and the right main landing gear (MLG) tire “blew” from the skidding. The pilot applied “significant” rudder and brake inputs to correct the deviation; however, he was unsuccessful, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, coming to rest in the grass about 12 ft from the left edge of the runway and about 2,370 ft from the approach end of the runway.

Data downloaded from the airplane’s Garmin G3000 Integrated Avionics System revealed a rightward lateral acceleration following touchdown immediately followed by a significant lateral acceleration to the left and a corresponding decrease in heading and track consistent with the airplane sliding.

PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot reported 4,003 total hours of flight experience, with 67 hours in the incident airplane make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe Piper PA-46-600TP M600 is a single turbine engine, propeller-driven, low wing airplane that was certified in June 2016 (See figure 1). The incident airplane was serial number (SN) 4698111.

Figure 1. Piper PA-46-600TP M600 airplane 3-view drawing.

Nose Landing Gear Steering

The nose landing gear (NLG) is attached to the engine mount at the upper end of the trunnion assembly by two trunnion bolts. The NLG strut assembly is installed in the trunnion assembly, where it rotates for nosewheel steering. The retract actuator is attached to the NLG trunnion assembly and engine mount to allow the NLG to retract aft into the wheel well. During retraction, the NLG strut and tire rotate 90° left through a mechanism that stows the NLG tire in a horizontal position.

The NLG is steerable through a 50° arc, 20° left and 30° right of center, using the rudder pedals. Primary rudder mechanical stops are installed adjacent to the rudder sector in the empennage to limit the deflection of the rudder and thus the motion of the rudder pedals. Secondary rudder pedal mechanical stops are installed in a machined aluminum fitting aft of the steering bellcrank. The secondary stops allow for a small amount of additional rudder pedal movement, as the rudder cables stretch before the stops engage the steering bellcrank. The NLG steering horn is attached to the top of the NLG strut with three bolts.

When the landing gear are extended, the right and left forward faces of the steering arm engage the right and left pads and rollers on the steering horn to transmit the linear motion of the rudder pedals to a rotational motion of the NLG strut.

Steering Horn Assembly

During manufacture, a steering horn assembly (part number 85154-012) was installed on M600 airplanes with SN 4698001 to 4698135. The assembly was the same as used on the M500 airplane and is attached to the NLG strut with three bolts through the base. A rub block is attached to the forward leg of the top plate, a large roller is attached to the top plate’s left leg, and a small roller is attached to the top plate’s right leg. The two steering pads and two steering rollers interface with the steering arm to provide nosewheel steering when the NLG is in the down position. The left roller should be up to 0.020 inch forward of the steering pad. The manufacturer discovered alignment issues with certain steering horn assemblies installed on airplanes with SN 4698102 and above, where the location of the steering pads and rollers were not consistent due to variances in the tolerance stack up. The alignment could be adjusted by machining the faces of the steering pads to achieve the necessary dimensional relationship between the pads and rollers. Starting at SN 4698136, the nose wheel steering horn and roller assembly was changed. The overall design of the new steering horn assembly, part number 46N32A009-001, did not change; however, the tolerances on certain critical dimensions were reduced.

Maintenance History

At the time of the incident, the airplane had accrued a total of 91 flight hours. The airplane received its airworthiness certificate on December 7, 2019. On January 17, 2020, the steering horn was removed from the NLG so that the steering pads could be resurfaced in accordance with the manufacturing drawing. The steering horn was reinstalled while the airplane was still at the Piper factory service center after it had accrued 5 hours total time.

The airplane manufacturer’s Warrantable 1st 50-hour inspection was completed on May 20, 2020, at which time the NLG and MLG oleo struts were serviced. The airplane had accrued 25.0 hours total time at the time of the maintenance. The most recent maintenance on the airplane was work on the avionics performed on August 7, 2020, at an airplane total time of 52.1 hours.

Landing Procedures

According to the normal procedures section of the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), pilots are cautioned to promptly center the rudder just as the nosewheel touches down in crosswind conditions to prevent swerving during landing.

Figure 2. POH Normal landing procedures.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 1355, the recorded weather at JYO included wind from 300° at 11 knots gusting to 19 knots. The calculated (left) crosswind component was 7.1 kts gusting to 12.2 kts.

AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe Piper PA-46-600TP M600 is a single turbine engine, propeller-driven, low wing airplane that was certified in June 2016 (See figure 1). The incident airplane was serial number (SN) 4698111.

Figure 1. Piper PA-46-600TP M600 airplane 3-view drawing.

Nose Landing Gear Steering

The nose landing gear (NLG) is attached to the engine mount at the upper end of the trunnion assembly by two trunnion bolts. The NLG strut assembly is installed in the trunnion assembly, where it rotates for nosewheel steering. The retract actuator is attached to the NLG trunnion assembly and engine mount to allow the NLG to retract aft into the wheel well. During retraction, the NLG strut and tire rotate 90° left through a mechanism that stows the NLG tire in a horizontal position.

The NLG is steerable through a 50° arc, 20° left and 30° right of center, using the rudder pedals. Primary rudder mechanical stops are installed adjacent to the rudder sector in the empennage to limit the deflection of the rudder and thus the motion of the rudder pedals. Secondary rudder pedal mechanical stops are installed in a machined aluminum fitting aft of the steering bellcrank. The secondary stops allow for a small amount of additional rudder pedal movement, as the rudder cables stretch before the stops engage the steering bellcrank. The NLG steering horn is attached to the top of the NLG strut with three bolts.

When the landing gear are extended, the right and left forward faces of the steering arm engage the right and left pads and rollers on the steering horn to transmit the linear motion of the rudder pedals to a rotational motion of the NLG strut.

Steering Horn Assembly

During manufacture, a steering horn assembly (part number 85154-012) was installed on M600 airplanes with SN 4698001 to 4698135. The assembly was the same as used on the M500 airplane and is attached to the NLG strut with three bolts through the base. A rub block is attached to the forward leg of the top plate, a large roller is attached to the top plate’s left leg, and a small roller is attached to the top plate’s right leg. The two steering pads and two steering rollers interface with the steering arm to provide nosewheel steering when the NLG is in the down position. The left roller should be up to 0.020 inch forward of the steering pad. The manufacturer discovered alignment issues with certain steering horn assemblies installed on airplanes with SN 4698102 and above, where the location of the steering pads and rollers were not consistent due to variances in the tolerance stack up. The alignment could be adjusted by machining the faces of the steering pads to achieve the necessary dimensional relationship between the pads and rollers. Starting at SN 4698136, the nose wheel steering horn and roller assembly was changed. The overall design of the new steering horn assembly, part number 46N32A009-001, did not change; however, the tolerances on certain critical dimensions were reduced.

Maintenance History

At the time of the incident, the airplane had accrued a total of 91 flight hours. The airplane received its airworthiness certificate on December 7, 2019. On January 17, 2020, the steering horn was removed from the NLG so that the steering pads could be resurfaced in accordance with the manufacturing drawing. The steering horn was reinstalled while the airplane was still at the Piper factory service center after it had accrued 5 hours total time.

The airplane manufacturer’s Warrantable 1st 50-hour inspection was completed on May 20, 2020, at which time the NLG and MLG oleo struts were serviced. The airplane had accrued 25.0 hours total time at the time of the maintenance. The most recent maintenance on the airplane was work on the avionics performed on August 7, 2020, at an airplane total time of 52.1 hours.

Landing Procedures

According to the normal procedures section of the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), pilots are cautioned to promptly center the rudder just as the nosewheel touches down in crosswind conditions to prevent swerving during landing.

Figure 2. POH Normal landing procedures.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONAirplane Examination

Examination of the airplane revealed impact damage to the left wingtip just aft of the navigat...