Lear 45's Grounded

[AJWick]

US Grounds Popular Learjet because of tail problem
Reuters

Wednesday August 13, 11:32 am ET


WASHINGTON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Regulators grounded a popular business jet on Wednesday because of a potential defect in a part that could cause critical tail components to fail and render the plane uncontrollable.
The Federal Aviation Administration required operators of more than 200 Learjet 45 planes to fix the problem with the horizontal stabilizer assembly, which helps control aircraft pitch. Operators have three days to position their planes at maintenance facilities, but no other Learjet flights are allowed.

The problem is another blow for Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. (Toronto:BBDb.TO - News), which makes and owns Learjet 45s that can seat up to nine passengers

 

[CoopDog]

Don't forget the gear....

Saw this one too this morning. Talk about having a bad day. First you fall out of the sky. Then you get it on the deck thank'n your lucky stars, and the landing gear collapses....Holy cow!

Look on the bright side. At least nobody had to die before the FAA took action.



FAA Grounds Learjet 45 Planes

Aug 13, 2003

A potentially fatal flaw in the main landing gear of Learjet 45 business jets has forced the US Federal Aviation Administration to ground the planes while urgent repairs are carried out.

In a new airworthiness directive issued today, the FAA said that some of the shearpins installed on the aircraft could fail and send it out of control on take-off or landing.

The agency has called for the immediate replacement of the faulty parts with improved versions.

The Learjet 45 is built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier and there are more than 200 of the planes in service.

A summary of the FAA directive said: "This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive that is applicable to certain Learjet Model 45 airplanes. This action incorporates a reduced life-limit replacement interval for certain shear pins in the trunnion assemblies of the main landing gears (MLG)... and requires replacement of those certain shear pins with new, improved shear pins.

"This action is necessary to prevent failure of the shear pins in the trunnion assemblies of the MLGs, which could result in the collapse of a MLG, and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane during takeoff or landing."

 

[Darinxjet]

Learjet 45

According to a good friend who flys a LR-45, the part that is on the aircraft is a replacement for a problem before. The vendor made a change to the new part and never got it cert. So here we are with the FAA looking at the new and improved part