PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL VZ-10 EXPERIENCES A NOSEGEAR RETRACTION EXTENSION ROD FAILURE. GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT BUT WOULD ALSO FAIL ON LNDG. EMER LNDG MADE AT O45; CA; AFTER CTAF CALLED AND PROB REVIEWED.

Narrative

AFTER TKOF; STARTED TO RETRACT NOSEGEAR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. VISUAL CHK BY ANOTHER ACFT REVEALED THAT IT WAS HANGING LOOSE WITH THE RETRACTION ROD. THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND INDICATES THAT THE RETRACTION ROD HAD BROKEN OR SEPARATED FROM THE TURN CRANK. IT ALSO MEANT THAT THE NOSEGEAR WOULD FAIL ON LNDG. DURING FLT TO HOME ARPT (O45) I REVIEWED EMER PROCS FOR NOSEGEAR FAILURE ON LNDG. NOTIFIED O45 CTAF OF SIT AND THAT I WOULD BE DISABLED ON THE RWY. UPON ARR; CIRCLED ARPT TO CLR TFC AND MADE NORMAL CTAF CALLS. ON SHORT FINAL SHUT DOWN ENG TO MINIMIZE THRUST AND LANDED. NOSEGEAR FAILED AND RETRACTED INTO THE WHEELWELL. ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP NEXT TO AN INTERSECTING TXWY. EXITED ACFT AND HAD THE RWY CLR WITHIN 1 MIN. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE NOSEGEAR #24 ROD HAD SEPARATED AT A WELD CONNECTION. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. A VZ-10 (VARI EZE) HAS A RUBBER NOSE SKID FOR JUST SUCH FAILURES. THE NOSEGEAR RETRACTION ROD (NOSEGEAR #24) IS VERY HARD TO FULLY INSPECT DURING ANNUAL INSPECTIONS. HOWEVER; IT HAS BEEN ON THE ACFT FOR 18 YRS AND HAD APPROX 700 HRS OF FLYING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS ONE OF A GROUP OF 4 ACFT ON DEP FROM MCE. THE PROB WAS READILY IDENTED BY ONE OF THE OTHER ACFT. MOST OF THE OTHER VZ-10'S HAVE A WORM GEAR DRIVE. THIS RETRACTION ROD WAS A STEERING GEAR FROM A 1964 CORVAIR. THE POSTFLT INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE WELD WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY. THE ORIGINAL WELD BEING A 'COLD' PROCESS VERSUS A 'HOT' WELD. (YET THE 'FAULTY' WELD HELD FOR 17 YRS.) THE RUBBER NOSE SKID WAS DESIGNED FOR PLACING THE ACFT ON ITS NOSE SO THAT THE ACFT DOESN'T MOVE WHEN PARKED. HAD THE NOSEWHEEL NOT CTRED ON THE LNDG AND RETRACTED INTO THE WHEELWELL; THE ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. RPTR GAVE THE INFO RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT TO A WEST AND EAST COAST GROUP OF VZ-10 OWNERS THAT ACT AS AN 'AD' SYS; SO THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THIS EVENT. THE ACFT HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED WITH A 'HOT' WELD WHICH '...SHOULD LAST FOREVER.'