Radome May Interfere With Extension Of Nose Gear

The FAA has issued an SAIB (Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin) following an incident in which a Beechcraft Model 4000 landed with the nose landing gear retracted.

The FAA says that an emergency landing incident on a Model 4000 airplane required the flightcrew to land the airplane with the nose landing gear retracted. There were no reported injuries, but the airplane sustained damage. Investigation revealed that the radome stop bolt was not rigged within the allowable tolerance as required by the Model 4000 Maintenance Manual. A properly rigged radome stop bolt will prevent the radome from moving aft during flight due to air loads, preventing interference with the nose landing gear doors.

Beechcraft Corporation issued Model Communique # HK-4000-19, dated July 2015, and revised the Model 4000 Maintenance Manual, Chapter 53-10-01, Revision A16, dated April 2014, to provide operators with procedures to inspect for proper rigging of the radome stop bolt at repetitive intervals.

The FAA recommends that owners, operators, and maintenance personnel of the affected airplanes follow the procedures outlined in Beechcraft Corporation Model Communique # HK-4000-19, dated July 2015, and in paragraph 3.B. of the Model 4000 Maintenance Manual, Chapter 53-10-01, Revision A16, dated April 2014.

(Image from file. Not incident airplane)

FMI: SAIB