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    Marcus Adolfsson's Avatar
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       #1  

    New NLG Service Bulletins Summary

    ICON released three Service Bulletins last week related to the Nose Landing Gear uncommanded retractions. It took me a little while to sort them out.

    SB-012624-A NLG Limit Switch Over-Engagement (Mandatory)
    This SB provides updated rigging instructions and design improvements for the new Retrofit Limit Switches that came out in October 2023 (SB-080323). If you don't have the new Limit Switch this is not required. An inspection is due within 5 runway landings; if the inspection passes the repair can be deferred to next condition inspection.

    SB-032420-C Recurring Inspection of Nose Landing Gear (NLG) Actuator Rigging
    This inspection is now due every 50 hr or 6 months (whichever comes first), instead of every 100 hr or annual condition inspection. The inspection is not required if either SB-080323 or SB-012724 (NLG Limit Switch Retrofit) have been completed.

    SB-012724 NLG Limit Switch Retrofit
    This is a new version of the NLG Limit Switch Retrofit SB (mechanical limit switches with long arms). It replaces SB-080323 and incorporates the updated rigging instructions and a design improvements included in SB-012624-A. You don't need to do this if you have already done SB-080323 (instead you do SB-012624-A). It is due at the next service interval. Once you perform this SB, you don't need to do the recurring Inspection required by SB-032420-C.
    St Petersburg, FL - N1BA #140 Icon G3x & N329MC Phenom 300
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    Michel Gadbois's Avatar
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    #2  
    Quote Originally Posted by Marcus Adolfsson View Post
    ICON released three Service Bulletins last week related to the Nose Landing Gear uncommanded retractions. It took me a little while to sort them out.

    SB-012624-A NLG Limit Switch Over-Engagement (Mandatory)
    This SB provides updated rigging instructions and design improvements for the new Retrofit Limit Switches that came out in October 2023 (SB-080323). If you don't have the new Limit Switch this is not required. An inspection is due within 5 runway landings; if the inspection passes the repair can be deferred to next condition inspection.

    SB-032420-C Recurring Inspection of Nose Landing Gear (NLG) Actuator Rigging
    This inspection is now due every 50 hr or 6 months (whichever comes first), instead of every 100 hr or annual condition inspection. The inspection is not required if either SB-080323 or SB-012724 (NLG Limit Switch Retrofit) have been completed.

    SB-012724 NLG Limit Switch Retrofit
    This is a new version of the NLG Limit Switch Retrofit SB (mechanical limit switches with long arms). It replaces SB-080323 and incorporates the updated rigging instructions and a design improvements included in SB-012624-A.

    You don't need to do this if you have already done SB-080323 (instead you do SB-012624-A). It is due at the next service interval. Once you perform this SB, you don't need to do the recurring Inspection required by SB-032420-C.
    Thanks for sorting this out. My annual is this week and I do NOT have the new switches so I will report back on how it goes. I am hoping I get my new Prop/VGs as well. More to come!
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    #3  
    Thanks Marcus! Appreciate you sorting this for all of us!
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    Jay Curtis's Avatar
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    #4  
    Having one older and one newer Icon we had to do both the easier long arm conversion to 198 and the install new long arm switches and decommission the internal prox switch on 111 SD. These are not difficult to do and the instructions are very well done. One thing we did notice is if the limit switches are initially not set quite right it will blow the fuse for the actuator when it binds against the stop the slightest amount. This made me think if a limit switch ever failed or went out of rig i might blow the fuse and not have a nose gear. The lesson i think is before i would replace that fuse in flight put the gear handle the opposite way from the direction that blew the fuse then install the fuse and you will get a down gear.
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    Dathan Liblik's Avatar
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    #5  
    Quote Original Post View Post
    This made me think if a limit switch ever failed or went out of rig i might blow the fuse and not have a nose gear. The lesson i think is before i would replace that fuse in flight put the gear handle the opposite way from the direction that blew the fuse then install the fuse and you will get a down gear.
    I experienced this in the air after takeoff on my cross-country trip.

    https://www.facebook.com/mach.zer0/

    The gear did not transition fully ("TRANSIT") stayed lit, and the fuse blew.

    To help folks, I can say firsthand that the solution (which is in the emergency procedures - know those!) is to do exactly that:
    • Move the landing gear switch to the gear-down position FIRST
    • Swap out the fuse SECOND
    • In my case, the nose gear then extended to the down position, and showed to be fully extended on the switch indicator (i.e. TRANSIT went out and the orange A5 gear-extended light came on
    • I landed normally


    If for some reason you did not have another fuse, other options that occurred to me (these are not advice, I'm not advocating or recommending, just sharing, *****, etc., etc.) when I was still wondering if the gear would extend are:
    • Leave gear switch as-is and land in water cautiously / as low speed as possible, or;
    • Approach runway, extend mains and flaps, and execute a soft field landing (nose gear will be up so you'll scrape) and get ready to jump out and pull the plane off the runway (folding the wings will help lift the nose to move the plane)


    Finally, I also took two pictures under the console of the nose gear actuator for reference: one with gear up and one with gear down, so that in any particular situation, if I am uncertain of position of nose gear, I can turn on phone camera, take picture under console and see where the gear is in reference to those pics.

    Tales from the road...

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