N198H

ATA 3250

Part: COMPUTER — INTERMITTENT (NLB STEERING) · airframe 12,562 hrs · 8,685 cycles

ON THE MORNING OF 7/18/2024, N198HB FLIGHT # CYO198, WAS DEPARTING KBCT. ON TAKEOFF ROLL, THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY REQUIRED EXTRA LEFT RUDDER INPUT TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHT. HE ADDED MORE TO ATTEMPT THE TAKEOFF BUT DECIDED TO ABORT. HE FELT IT WAS TOO MUCH, SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM. HE TAXIED SAFELY BACK TO THE FBO ALSO NOTICING EXTRA LEFT RUDDER WAS NEEDED TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHT. HE STATED THAT THE LANDING/TAXI INTO KBCT WAS NORMAL. LOCAL MAINTENANCE WAS SET UP TO CHECK THE AIRCRAFTS STEERING SYSTEM. ANOTHER TAXI/FUNCTIONAL CHECK WAS COMPLETED AND WHAT THE CAPTAIN EXPERIENCED WAS VERIFIED. A RE CALIBRATION OF THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING COMPUTER WAS COMPLETED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXI CHECKED AGAIN AND STEERING FUNCTIONS WERE ALL NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN EMPTY REPOSITION FLIGHT THAT WAS COMPLETED WITH NO ISSUES REPORTED. IT HAS COMPLETED TWO MORE FLIGHTS WITH NO OTHER STEERING ISSUES REPORTED.

ATA 7200

Part: ENGINE — OIL CONSUMPTION

DURING FLIGHT IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS FLUCTUATING. CONTINUED FLIGHT AND OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE REMAINED WITHIN LIMITS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED DO TO OIL CONSUMPTION. (K)

ATA 7261

Part: ENGINE — MAKING METAL

DURING TAKEOFF, ENGINE CHIP LIGHT ILLUMINATED SO AC RETURNED TO BASE. MAINTENANCE CLEANED AND INSPECTED BOTH PLUGS, FOUND 2 SMALL SLIVERS ON THE LOWER PLUG. INSPECTED BOTH FILTERS FOUND OK, DRAINED AND RESERVICED OIL TANK. COMPLIED WITH A 30 MINUTE GROUND RUN, NO OTHER DEFECTS NOTED. (K)

ATA 6440

Part: CHIP DETECTOR — MALFUNCTIONED (TAIL ROTOR)

DURING TAKEOFF, AFTER MAINTENANCE INSPECTED TAIL ROTOR CHIP FROM FIRST OCCURRENCE OF FLICKERING LIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF, DURING LT TURN TAIL ROTOR CHIP LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS THEN REMAINED OFF. AIRCRAFT RETURNED, MAINTENANCE REMOVED AND REPLACED CHIP PLUG ASSEMBLY, GROUND RUN AND OPS CHECK FLIGHT SHOWED NO CHIP INDICATION, AIRCRAFT RETURED TO SERVICE. (K)

ATA 7532

Part: BLEED VALVE — FAILED (ENGINE)

WHILE HOVERING FOR TAKEOFF A LOUD BANG CAME FOR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A TORQUE FLUCTUATION AND A RIGHT YAW. CHECKED ALL THE SYSTEMS ALL IN GREEN AND THEN HOVERED TO PARKING. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED COMPRESSOR FOR FOD AND LEAKS, NO DEFECTED NOTED. REMOVED AND INSPECTED PC AIR FILTER, FOUND CLEAN REINSTALLED PC FILTER ASSY. REMOVED AND REPLACED COMPRESSOR BLEED VALVE, AIRCRAFT GROUND RAN LEAK AND OPS CHECK, ALL SYSTEMS GOOD. AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL CHECK FLOWN AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. WORK DONE IAW THE MANUFACTURES MM. (M)

ATA 5302

Part: SKIN — CRACKED (TAIL BOOM)

WHILE PERFORMING AN INSPECTION, CRACK IN LOWER SKIN AT T/B STA 153. STARTING AT EDGE OF SKIN, MEASURING 2.5 INCHES LONG, RUNNING THE CIRCUMFERENCE DIRECTION , POSSIBLY CAUSED BY ROUGH EDGE IN SKIN OR MAYBE A VIBRATION.

ATA 6730

Part: SERVO — BINDING (FLT CONTROLS)

WHILE PICKING UP TO A HOVER. FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY, WHILE PICKING UP TO A HOVER FELT BINDING IN CYCLIC. SET AIRCRAFT DOWN AND CHECKED FRICTION AND HYDRAULIC SWITCH, MADE SECOND ATTEMPT TO PICKUP TO A HOVER WITH SAME STIFFNESS IN CYCLIC. SHUTDOWN AND NOTIFIED MAINTENANCE. MAINTENANCE REMOVED RT CYCLIC SERVO AND INSTALLED RT SERVO.

ATA 2822

Part: PUMP — FAILED (FUEL BOOST)

AFT BOOST PUMP INOPERATIVE. INSPECTED AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER AND FOUND FILTER WAS COATED WITH A BLACK CARBON LIKE MATERIAL THAT WAS SUSPECTED TO BE RESIDUE FROM THE MAGNETS SURROUNDING THE BOOST PUMP CORE. (X)

ATA 2822

Part: BOOST PUMP — FAILED (FUEL SYSTEM)

HORIZON HELICOPTERS HAD NOTICED FUEL CONTAMINATION AFTER A BOOST PUMP FAILURE ON 4 OCCASIONS. THE FILTER IS FULL OF BLACK CARBON. SUBMITTER BELIEVES THE BOOST PUMP INTERNAL BREAKDOWN IS THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION AND HAS SAMPLE PUMP AND FILTER AT FACILITY FROM THIS AIRCRAFT.