N188SF
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
No operator established for this aircraft.
Accident & incident history
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
Maintenance disclosures
Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA for this airframe. Filing is largely voluntary — the number of reports is not a measure of reliability. To verify a report, search its control number at the FAA SDRS site.
4 reports on file, 2014-07-12 – 2016-10-17.
Part: STRUT — SEPARATED (RT MLG) · airframe 1,358 hrs · 3,860 cycles
PILOT REPORTED "NO INDICATION ON POSITION OF RIGHT MAIN GEAR. HAD TO CONDUCT A LANDING ON THE AIRCRAFT FLOAT SKIDS ON A HARD SURFACE RUNWAY." UPON INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE DISCOVERED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR STRUT INNER PISTON & OUTER CYLINDER HAD SEPARATED. THIS AIRCRAFT HAD COMPLIED WITH THE ONE TIME MAINTENANCE ACTION TO LOCK THE PISTON ASSEMBLY AND INNER BARREL TOGETHER AS INCORPORATED IN SERVICE LETTER 154 WHICH INCLUDED COMPLIANCE OF SL 152, ADDRESSING "MAIN GEAR OLEO MOVEMENT". AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REPAIR; FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED UPON RELEASE TO SERVICE.
Part: ATTACH FITTING — CRACKED (RT FLOAT) · airframe 894 hrs · 2,542 cycles
DURING A ROUTINE INTERVAL INSPECTION, RT FLOAT PYLON ATTACH FITTING WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED AT THE 12 O CLOCK POSITION OF THE THIRD INBD LUG. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE FLOAT STC OEM, THIS ACFT WAS REPOSITIONED UNDER SFP TO THE FLOAT STC OEM FACILITY, FOR EVALUATION & REPAIR BY REPLACEMENT OF THIS FITTING. THIS ACFT WAS MODIFIED BY STC SA1311GL ON 02 20 2014. A SUPPLEMENT ILLUSTRATING DAMAGE AREA WILL BE SUBMITTED WITH THIS SDR.
Part: STARTER GEN — MALFUNCTIONED (ENGINE) · airframe 791 hrs
PILOT REPORTED SMOKE SMELL IN COCKPIT. R & R WITH NEW ENG STARTER GEN IAW MM CH 80-10-00 LEAK & OPERATIONAL CHECKED GOOD.
Part: GUST LOCK — DAMAGED (RUDDER) · airframe 230 hrs
RUDDER GUST LOCK TUBE ASSY SHEARED IN FLIGHT AND CAUSED A MALFUNCTION IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL/RUDDER SYS. PILOT STATED HE HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO MOVE THE YOKE AFT OF ITS NEUTRAL POSITION. UPON LANDING THE ACFT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND THE RUDDER GUST LOCK TUBE ASSY WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN AND SEVERELY CORRODED. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT FATIGUE CORROSION CAUSED THIS FAILURE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPERATING AS A "SEA PLANE", IN A SALT WATER LADEN ENVIRONMENT. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE ACFT IS PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 230.2 TOTAL AIRFRAME HOURS TSN. THIS OFFICE RECOMMENDS FOR THE FAA TO MANDATE A "ONE TIME" INSPECTION OF THIS ACFT PART FOR CORROSION, IN AN EMERGENCY AD ACTION, THEN HAVE THIS PART BE INSPECTED ON A REGULAR BASIS AS PART OF A RECURRING AD EVERY 100 HOURS. THIS OFFICE ALSO RECOMMENDS THE MFG INCORPORATE A "REOCCURRING VISUAL CORROSION INSPECTION" OF THE TUBE ASSY, AT THE 100 HOUR INSPECTION INTERVAL. THE AD ACTION WOULD BE THE PREFERRED METHOD TO ENSURE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SAFETY.