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Taxing across turf on my property on Memorial Day while putting my A5 into the hanger and BAM !! - nose gear collapses. I have heard of this happening to others for no apparent reason before - didn't think it would happen to me. Nose gear is now neither down and locked nor completely retracted. When you turn on the master you can hear the actuator running - but no movement of the nose gear. Luckily there was no hull nor gear door damage since I was going so slow and on turf. I hate to think how much damage could have been done if it happened at 50 KIAS on the takeoff or landing rollout - and potential injuries.

Mandy says there is an engineering rework of the nose gear actuator that SHOULD be available in about a month.

I don't know if I will land or taxi on turf ever again once I get this fixed. And honestly the cost for the part is making me rethink keeping my A5.

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Ugh sorry to hear. Glad to hear that ICON is working on an improved actuator though!

The Icon is my second plane with electrical gear actuators, the first being the Eclipse 500. We had a few "uncommanded retractions" in that fleet until they eventually changed the actuator manufacturer.

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Wow! Did those retractions override the squat switch?

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Michael, sorry to hear that. I’d be really interested in what the “new design” looks like.
If the NLG collapses it either pulls the acme screw inside completely apart (tension failure) or buckles the acme screw and many times it protrudes out of the actuator housing. I suspect either your NLG was out of rig or has wiring or reed switch failure causing it to stop either just beyond or just before an on center connection which takes the load off the actuator completely (like piston being on top dead center) If you are stopping 3 deg either way the actuator is taking a huge load and will fail causing the collapse.

The rigging should be checked every annual condition inspection or 100 hr which ever comes first in accordance with this Service Bulletin. https://www.iconaircraft.com/wp-cont...B-032420-A.pdf

Michel Gadbois, FYSA There isn’t a squat switch in this gear design.

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Yup... I meant the Eclipse 500.

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Yup... I meant the Eclipse 500.

I don't recall the exact details, but I know the E500 has dual Weight-on-Wheel switches. The NLG retraction was uncommanded, the actuator just decided on its own to retract.

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According to Robby Bonanno on the new actuator the current reed switches (which have been prone to failure) are being replaced by external micro switches. Robby is trying to get this new part released asap. He says that there is an owner in UAE that has just experienced the same failure as myself. He was to have a meeting last Thursday to discuss this issue and I am hoping to hear the results of that meeting today.

My annual rigging check was to be done this week since my A5 was SUPPOSED to go in for its annual last week. Ugh - if I had only taken it in a week or two earlier for its annual MAYBE the rigging check would have detected an issue.

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I had this happen in April. Normal landing on a paved runway the nose gear collapsed after touchdown at around 30 kts. No hull damage, however one gear door, tire, wheel and and actuator all had to be replaced. Icon said that this actuator that was installed was improved over the original one, however a second improved one was forth coming.

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We had a “gear in transit” indication on the taxi out for departure recently, and felt a slight drop in nose gear on the run up while stationary. Probably was headed for full collapse. Returned to parking and had to have Avian Flight come out (thank you Avian!). They did a full nose gear actuator replacement last Tuesday. SN 0023

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A yep. Part of the club.

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BTW - this is what it looks like when you've been broken down toooooo long:

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Or maybe the birds are just sending me a sign to stay out of their domain.

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We pulled the NLG actuator off my A5. Looks like the down-limit switch did not tell the system to shut off the motor and the jackscrew continued to extend - and bent the rod? That's my theory anyway - since the jackscrew threads where it attaches to the motor are trashed from the motor continuing to run.

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Yes that's an over travel condition. The reason that bent is it started to wrap around the actuator bellcrank shaft.

I have made a few quick info graphics to better explain the way the NLG system is designed kinematically. The actuators will see tremendous load if stopped beyond + or - 3 deg of an on center condition with typical nose landing gear weight on ground.

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The retro fit kits for both the NLG and the MLG should be available at the end of this week.

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The retro fit kits for both the NLG and the MLG should be available at the end of this week.

Awesome whoever gets it installed first please post a PIREP.

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Mandy sent me the MRA today to try to help get myself and my A&P prepped to do the retrofit. It is very confusing to me and I have an aerospace engineering degree AND have been poking around in the nose wheel well quite a bit since this happened. I am afraid that my A&P may look at the MRA and say "no way am I taking this on".

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Hello Folks
New ICON owner here of 3 months. Posting for first time as I experienced NG failure on landing 2 weeks ago. Prior to failure I could feel the NG shaking as soon as it touched surface.
Disappointing to say the least.

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Hey John - sorry to hear of your issues. What is your serial number? Needless to say "I feel your pain". I think I was told that anything after SN 188 would have the retrofit already installed - so I am assuming yours is earlier than that? If not, and you have the retrofit from the factory, "Houston we have a problem".

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Thanks Michael - yes it is not ideal.
MY ASN is 034, so I assume I have to original NG assembly.
To make matters worse, on the quiet single strip airport I use, I was 1 of 3 aircraft stacked for landing at same time. Of course I was first and BOOM...everyone had to wait for me to get towed off runway.

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NLG retrofit is complete on my aircraft. It works and the retrofit was not too difficult to put in. Only time will tell if it holds up better than the reed switches used on the original design.

Although this aircraft sips fuel to fly it is killing me in maintenance costs. Over $8K for my last annual including the repairs needed and it looks like it will cost even more this year with the NLG repairs.

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I am up to 35K this year in Annuals/retrofits/replacements/SBs. I hope it calms down soon. both my gear actuators were replaced 2 yrs ago so I hope they last.

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That's almost 10% of the cost of a new A5. That's crazy.

Oh, yeah, I forgot - I also have a chute repack due in a few months.

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and don't forget you mandatory Rotax 5Yr Rubber replacement. Another 5K.

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I gotta say - concerning the BRS I, along with my A&P, are confused why there is a "repack by" date in each of our maintenance log books that, in most (if not all) cases is significantly earlier than the 8 year repack interval required by BRS. Is this due to the line cutter needing to be replaced earlier???

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I was told that all of us that bought 'early' Icons ASN00001-00060, received parachutes that had been in Vacaville a long while (Mine was delivered to Vacaville almost 2 years before my plane was delivered). I believe that is a big part of it.

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I am trying to figure out this repack date thingy. My installation was Feb 2019. My repack date (according to Icon) is Dec 2023. BRS says repack every 8 years - right? . So THAT means my parachute was purchased in Dec 2015???

What am I missing here??? Should we be expecting a revision to SL-120122A?

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Anyone who plans on doing the NLG or MLG retrofit BE ADVISED - the kit is very expensive for what you get. For instance - there is one 4.75" J-bolt which is over $70. I was told that the price includes overhead. Over $70 for a J-bolt? Come on.

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MLG retrofit now completed as well. Fingers crossed this is the needed fix.