L'Hotelier Fitting Safety Pins

If you have not installed the placard, assuming the AD applies to your glider, you glider is not airworthy and should not have passed the last annual or condition inspection.
It's easy to do. Print it, laminate(office tape will do in a pinch) and install with double stick tape.
Easy Peasy
UH

AD97-08-06 Note 1 "This AD does not apply to gliders and sailplanes that do not have a U.S. type certificate (i.e.., experimental category); however the FAA strongly recommends compliance with the intent of this AD for airplane involved in U.S. operation where a U.S. type certificate is not necessary.

Casey

Was it a pinned L'Hotelier that failed on the Nimbus 4M crash in Washington? Does anyone know of failures with properly pinned L'Hotelier?

I don't see how a properly connected and pinned fitting could fail
unless the ball or socket was worn beyond specifications. My guess,
with absolutely no actual information, would be that there was a
material failure and something broke rather than became disconnected.
It would be interesting to see pictures or read the NTSB report. Do you
have more information about the crash?

On 10/13/2016 5:44 PM, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Was it a pinned L'Hotelier that failed on the Nimbus 4M crash in Washington? Does anyone know of failures with properly pinned L'Hotelier?


--
Dan, 5J

On Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 7:44:07 PM UTC-4, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Was it a pinned L'Hotelier that failed on the Nimbus 4M crash in Washington? Does anyone know of failures with properly pinned L'Hotelier?

http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.av...no=1&pgsize=50

Never mind! However, will a L'Hotelier fitting will come off even when pinned if it is too well lubricated, I have heard that is why I ask?


On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 8:28:07 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 7:44:07 PM UTC-4, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Was it a pinned L'Hotelier that failed on the Nimbus 4M crash in Washington? Does anyone know of failures with properly pinned L'Hotelier?

http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.av...no=1&pgsize=50

"Too well lubricated?"!

Lack of lubricarion leads to:
-wear on the ball and socket, increasing clearances.
-difficulty getting the lock to properly latch.

As to the original statement (quoted), maybe the ball or socket were worn beyond limits, lubing removed some "crud" that was holding things together. This then allowed a "properly pinned/locked joint to come apart".
Go back to root cause, in my "non degreed mechanical engineering opinion".

IMHO, many things need to be cleaned, looked at, lubed a few times a year, at a good annual inspection at a minimum. Reducing wear and easing use of controls/systems are a benefit.

My mistake, very poor choice of phrasing. Lubricated with grease instead of something like graphite. Again this was relayed to be by another pilot. I currently fly a bird with automatic connections, still do a positive check, but occasional I fly in a two seat open so I would like to know.


On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 2:15:15 PM UTC-7, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
"Too well lubricated?"!

Lack of lubricarion leads to:
-wear on the ball and socket, increasing clearances.
-difficulty getting the lock to properly latch.

My previous comment/post still stands.

According to the NDSB report: "The pilot stated that during assembly of
the glider prior to the flight, the left aileron control tuve was
inadvertently not attached, anbd that he did not verify that all flight
controls moved free and correct prior to takeoff."

That doesn't sound to me like a failure of the L'Holelier fitting.


On 10/14/2016 9:27 AM, wrote:
On Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 7:44:07 PM UTC-4, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Was it a pinned L'Hotelier that failed on the Nimbus 4M crash in Washington? Does anyone know of failures with properly pinned L'Hotelier?
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.av...no=1&pgsize=50


--
Dan, 5J

Of course the question was of L'Hotelier failures while correctly pinned.

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 5:18:18 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
According to the NDSB report: "The pilot stated that during assembly of
the glider prior to the flight, the left aileron control tuve was
inadvertently not attached, anbd that he did not verify that all flight
controls moved free and correct prior to takeoff."

That doesn't sound to me like a failure of the L'Holelier fitting.