Editor’s Note: This information was originally released by the King Air Academy in 2017 and received a large response from the receiving audience, many finding their retaining clip compromised. We thought it would be beneficial to publish it again for those who may not have seen the first transmission. It is paraphrased below.
This is regarding an incident involving a King Air BE20 where after a normal touchdown, the nose tire skidded for approximately 2,000 feet before the aircraft came to a stop. The nose wheel was deflected significantly right (see photo below, left).
Upon closer inspection, the retaining clip at the aft end of the nose wheel shock link was found to be missing, which allowed the spring inside to extend and effectively create a “right turn” input to the nose wheel.
What can cause this?
A shock link retaining clip can be broken, with one or more “keepers” missing. This can have the potential for the same type of failure the BE20 experienced.
Be sure to check all four “keepers” (reference photos at right) on the retaining clip during your preflight inspection. Feel all the way around the clip or reach your phone up into the wheel well and take a picture of the area that is hard to get a visual on. We have heard of a few shops that are safety wiring the clip in place. This is not an approved practice.
The retaining clip is a very inexpensive part and can be easily replaced before it fails. Next time you preflight, give this area extra vigilance and save yourself some tense moments and potentially expensive repairs.
Photos by King Air Academy