What special precautions should be taken when towing an aircraft that has a steerable nose wheel?

• A. The nose wheel must be aligned with the tow direction at all times.
• B. Disconnect all landing gear components during towing.
• C. Be sure the nose wheel does not turn past its stops. Some aircraft require torsion links on the nose wheel strut to be disconnected.
• D. Tow only at low speeds on grass surfaces.

Answer: (C)

When towing an aircraft with a steerable nose wheel, the key precaution is to prevent the nose wheel from turning past its designed stops and to break the steering linkage where required. If the nose wheel is allowed to move beyond those stops, the towing forces can over-stress the nose gear, strut, and steering components, potentially causing damage to the airframe or gear. On some aircraft, torsion links on the nose wheel strut must be disconnected for towing so the wheel isn’t driven by the steering mechanism or loaded by the tow; this lets the nose wheel stay neutral or caster as the tow tractor moves, without transferring loads into the steering system. The other ideas—disconnected landing gear components, or towing only on grass and at very low speeds—aren’t universal requirements and don’t address the core safety concern of protecting the nose gear and steering linkage.