To The List.

No time to fill in the details, will do later to help with group education
and knowledgebase but the nose strut on my IV-P which has been a problem
area with oil leaks, and losing gas pressure, (we had it back to the factory
for repairs, etc) BUT NOW finally it really bit me.

Bottom line, a few days ago, at Victoria, BC (CYYJ) made a perfectly smooth
landing (one of my best ever I was first thinking), until when I let the
nose gear down, it was like I was landing on a washboard. I thought I had a
flat front tire.  Tried to pull back on the stick to take pressure off the
nose gear, no joy.  Thought about braking hard as per my training for flat,
but  then thought that that would put more pressure on the nose gear, so
chose to let the plane slow itself down and reported to tower I might have a
flat tire.  Lots of bumps later, came to stop, had good control at all
times, and taxied off, made it to a run-up bay and shut down.

Got out, no flat tire, but gas strut on nose gear was right down.  Tower
arranged to have a couple of AME's come out with a nitrogen tank and they
pumped up the strut, and I taxied in.  Things felt a little mushy.  Did an
inspection next day, and found the run along the washboard with the strut
not doing it's shock absorber, broke off the front crossmember of the engine
mount.  With both cowls off, it was clear the actual nose gear was bent, and
there are enough bends and twists in the engine mount that is it best to get
a new one.  Called Vern, but he is right out of engine mounts and does not
expect any for a week or maybe even two (or does that mean even more?).

If anyone out on the list has a engine mount for the TSIO-550E, please email
me directly gerry@doctorseyecare.ab.ca with contact numbers and I will call
you.  With the conversions going on to turbines, I might just get lucky and
get my bird airborne without too much delay.

Gerry Leinweber
C-GLFP (grounded until new engine mount)