A C441 INCURRED NOSE GEAR DAMAGE CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERLY OPERATED ELECTRIC TOW CART.

Narrative

AFTER NORMAL PREFLT AND TKOF; I LIFTED GEAR KNOB. THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS WENT OUT. LIFTED FLAP KNOB AND THEN HEARD A CLUNK SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE PLANE. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AND IT SEEMED IN ORDER. WE FLEW TO NAPLES (APF) AT 12500 FT UNDER RADAR CTL. I DID A LOW APCH AND DECIDED NOT TO LOWER THE GEAR; FLEW BACK TO BOCA RATON AT 11500 FT UNDER RADAR CTL. LANDED AT BOCA RATON AND KEPT ALL PRESSURE OFF OF THE NOSEWHEEL. TAXIED UP TO FBO; AND UPON INSPECTION; SAW DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR. PROB PROBABLY CAUSED BY IMPROPER TOWING WITH A STRAP AROUND NOSE GEAR INSTEAD OF THROUGH AXLE AS INSTRUCTED. THIS DAMAGED OR WEAKENED NOSE UPLOCKING SYS. ELECTRIC CARTS MUST NOT BE USED TO TOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED BEFORE THE FLT BY AN ELECTRO TOW CART WHICH WAS USED TO MOVE THE ACFT BY THE FBO LINE SVC PEOPLE. THE RPTR SAID THE ELECTRO TOW CART GRASPS THE EXPOSED PISTON OF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WITH A STRAP AND TOWS THE ACFT. THE RPTR SAID NO DAMAGE OCCURS IF THE CORRECT SIZE STRAP IS USED. THE RPTR STATED IF THE LARGER STRAP IS USED AND IS GREATER IN HT THAN THE EXPOSED PISTON; THEN THE STRAP ALSO COVERS A PORTION OF THE STRUT AND SOME ALUMINUM CASTINGS ON THE STRUT ARE DAMAGED. THE RPTR SAID THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE OCCURS ON CESSNA MODELS 441; 421 AND 402 NOSE STRUTS.