N293CA

CESSNA 172M · 1975 · Fixed-wing single-engine · 1 engine · 4 seats · Valid Registration

Registered owner: CHOICE AVIATION LLC, MT (owner ≠ operator)

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.

88 reports on file, 1996-09-03 – 2010-10-15.

OTHER · 2010-10-15 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 3212

Part: FLOAT — BINDING (MLG) · airframe 22,381 hrs

THE ACFT WAS IN FOR THE FIRST 24 MONTH ACTIVATION/ INSP. THE KIT WAS INSTALLED NEW 24 MONTHS AGO AND 1 OF THE PREREQUISITES FOR INSTALLATION OF THE STC'D KIT IS REMOVING THE OEM STEPS AND INSTALLING THE STC'D OPTIONAL STEPS. OUR COMPANY ELECTED TO INSTALL THE AERONAUTICAL ACCESSORIES STEP KIT (STC NR SR00446AT) IAW THE FLOAT KIT (STC SR01459LA) INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS NR II412-61 REVISION A DATED 01/16/06. IAW PARAGRAPH 3.0 ON PAGE 6 THIS FLOAT KIT IS COMPATIBLE WITH 2 MFG STEP KITS. DURING THE FLOAT INFLATION INSP THE MID BAGS JAMMED UNDER THE FLOAT STEP CAUSING SEVER DEFLECTION AND BOWING OF THE STEPS. THE MX CREW RAPIDLY LT THE HANGAR FOR SAFETY REASONS AS THE STEPS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE SHOWED SIGNS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IN SUMMERY IF THE ACFT WAS IN AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY WATER LANDING THE FLOAT BAGS WOULD HAVE RUPTURED AND THE ACFT MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE SANK AS BOTH MID FLOAT BAGS WOULD HAVE FAILED. WITH THE STEPS SEVERLY BOWED IT WOULD HAVE IMPEDED CREW & PASSENGER EMERGENCY EGRESS. DURING THIS FAILURE THE EMERGENCY RAFTS WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AS THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO THE FLOAT BAGS AND THE PASSENGERS AND CREW WOULD HAVE HAD NOT EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT OTHER THAN THE LIFE VESTS THAT THEY WERE WEARING.

Source: SDR YTRAN293CAJZ2

OTHER; SIGNIFICANT FAILURE REPORT · 2010-10-15 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 3212

Part: CABLE — BROKEN (EMERGENCY FLOAT) · airframe 22,381 hrs

THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH STC'D EMERGENCY FLOAT BAGS WITH LIFE RAFT. THE EMERGENCY RAFT PULL CABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RAFT FAILED COMPLETELY DURING THE INITIAL 24 MONTH ROUNTINE INSP. THE CABLE IS MADE FROM INFERIOR NON-AVIATION GRADE MATERIALS AND THIS FAILURE IS COMMON AMONG ALL THE KITS FOR VARIOUS MODELS OF ACFT. THE STC NR FOR THIS PARTICULAR KIT IS SR01459LA. IF THE ACFT WAS ACTUALLY IN AN EMERGENCY WATER LANDING CONDITION THE PASSENGERS AND CREW WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INFLATE THE RAFT BEFORE THE ACFT POSSBILY SINKING IN MODERATE TO ROUGH SEAS AND BECAUSE THERE ARE NO CARRY ON LIFE RAFTS REQUIRED DUE TO THIS KIT WITH 2 RAFTS INCORPORATED THEY WOULD HAVE HAD NO OTHER SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT OTHER THAN THE LIFE VEST THAT THEY WERE WEARING.

Source: SDR YTRAN293CAJZ1

OTHER · 2010-10-15 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 3212

Part: FLOAT — BENT (ZONE 700) · airframe 22,381 hrs

THE ACFT WAS IN FOR THE FIRST ROUTINE SCHEDULED 24 MONTH ACTIVATION/ INSP REQUIRED FOR THE OEM EMERGENCY FLOATATION KIT THAT IS INSTALLED IN CONJUNCTION WITH STCâD MID BAG WITH LIFE RAFT FLOAT KIT. THE STCâD FLOAT STEP KIT WAS INSTALLED 24 MONTHS AGO DUE TO THE EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION WARNING STATED IN THE EMERGENCY FLOATATION KIT ALSO INSTALLED AT THE SAME TIME AND DATE. THE ELECTRIC STEP KIT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE FLOAT KIT IAW MFG INSTALLATIONS INSTRUCTIONS II412-61, REV A DATED 01/16/06 PARA 3.0 ON PAGE 6 THIS FLOAT KIT IS COMPATIBLE WITH 2 OTHER MFG STEP KITS. DURING THE FLOAT INFLATION INSP THE AFT FLOAT BAGS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT JAMMED UNDER THE AFT SIDE OF THE FLOAT STEPS CAUSING SEVER DEFLECTION AND BINDING IN THE AFT FLOAT BAGS. MX CREW RAPIDLY LEFT THE HANGAR FOR SAFETY REASONS AS THE STEPS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE SHOWED SIGNS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IN SUMMERY IF THE ACFT WAS IN AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY WATER LANDING CONFIGURATION THE FLOAT BAGS WOULD HAVE RUPTURED AND THE ACFT MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE RAPIDLY SANK TAIL FIRST AS A RESULT OF FLOAT BAG FAILURES. ADDITIONALLY WITH THE FLOAT BAGS SEVERELY DEFLECTED PRIOR TO FAILURE PASSENGER EMERGENCY EGRESS MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN IMPEDED. NOTE: 2 RELATED SDRS WITH UNIQUE CONTROL NUMBERS YTRAN293CAJZ2 & YTRAN293CAJZ3 WERE ELECTRONICALLY FILED ON 10/21/10 FOR VERY SIMILAR MALFUNCTIONS UNDER THE MFG OF FLOAT BAG.

Source: SDR YTRAN293CA4

OTHER · 2010-10-15 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 3212

Part: FLOAT — MALFUNCTIONED (ZONE 700) · airframe 21,323 hrs

THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN FOR THE FIRST 24 MONTH ACTIVATION/ INSPECTION. THE KIT WAS INSTALLED NEW 24 MONTHS AGO AND ONE OF THE PREREQUISITES FOR INSTALLATION OF THE STC'D KIT IS REMOVING THE OEM STEPS AND INSTALLING THE STC'D OPTIONAL STEPS. OUR COMPANY ELECTED TO INSTALL THE AERONAUTICAL ACCESSORIES STEP KIT (STC SR00446AT) IAW THE FLOAT KIT (STC SR01459LA) INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS NR II412-61 REVISION A DATED 01/16/06. IAW PARAGRAPH 3.0 ON PAGE 6 THIS FLOAT KIT IS COMPATIBLE WITH 2 MFG STEP KITS. DURING THE FLOAT INFLATION INSPECTION THE MID BAGS JAMMED UNDER THE FLOAT STEP CAUSING SEVER DEFLECTION AND BOWING OF THE STEPS. THE MX CREW RAPIDLY LT THE HANGAR FOR SAFETY REASONS AS THE STEPS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE SHOWED SIGNS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IN SUMMERY IF THE ACFT WAS IN AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY WATER LANDING THE FLOAT BAGS WOULD HAVE RUPTURED AND THE ACFT MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE SANK AS BOTH MID FLOAT BAGS WOULD HAVE FAILED. WITH THE STEPS SEVERLY BOWED IT WOULD HAVE IMPEDED CREW & PASSENGER EMERGENCY EGRESS. DURING THIS FAILURE THE EMERGENCY RAFTS WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AS THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO THE FLOAT BAGS AND THE PASSENGERS AND CREW WOULD HAVE HAD NOT EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT OTHER THAN THE LIFE VESTS THAT THEY WERE WEARING.

Source: SDR YTRAN293CAJZ3

Earlier reports · 1996–2002 · 84 reports

2002

OTHER · 2002-06-06 Unresolved

ATA 6220

Part: BEARING — WORN (MAIN ROTOR) · airframe 17,326 hrs

ROD END BEARING WORN EXCESSIVELY.

Source: SDR YTRR079850

OTHER · 2002-06-06 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 7323

Part: GOVERNOR — MALFUNCTIONED (ENGINE) · airframe 17,326 hrs

GOVERNOR WAS CAUSING A TORQUE SPLIT IN THE NR 2 ENGINE.

Source: SDR YTRR079853

OTHER · 2002-06-06 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 6220

Part: BEARING — WORN (MAIN ROTOR) · airframe 17,326 hrs

ROD END BEARING EXCESSIVELY WORN.

Source: SDR YTRR079851

OTHER · 2002-06-06 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 6220

Part: BEARING — WORN (MAIN ROTOR) · airframe 17,326 hrs

ROD END BEARING EXCESSIVELY WORN.

Source: SDR YTRR079852

OTHER · 2002-06-06 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 6220

Part: BEARING — WORN (M/R) · airframe 17,326 hrs

ROD END BEARING EXCESSIVELY WORN.

Source: SDR YTRR079849

OTHER · 2002-06-06 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 7722

Part: COMPENSATOR — ERRATIC (ITT TRIM) · airframe 17,326 hrs

GAVE ERRATIC AND ERRONEOUS READINGS DURING GROUND RUN. TRIM COMPENSATOR WAS RECEIVED NEW FROM PRATT AND WHITNEY WITH THE ENGIEN AFTER OVERHAUL.

Source: SDR YTRR079854

OTHER · 2002-01-02 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 7322

Part: LINE — CRACKED (P3 FILTER) · airframe 17,054 hrs

P3 FILTER LINE ON NR 1 ENGINE CRACKED, REPLACED P3 FILTER LINE ASSEMBLY WITH NEW SERVICEABLE ASSEMBLY.

Source: SDR YTRR077529

1999

OTHER · 1999-11-15 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 3416

Part: ENCODER — FAILED (COCKPIT)

GPS CONSTANTLY READS EXY. ALTIMETER IS IN ERROR.

Source: SDR HEEA065146

OTHER · 1999-08-13 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 2200

Part: GYRO — MALFUNCTIONED (TARSYN)

FLAG CIRCUIT NOT PULLING HSI.

Source: SDR HEEA063388

OTHER · 1999-08-12 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 2430

Part: CONTROL UNIT — FAILED (DC CONTROL)

CONTROL UNIT WOULD NOT COME ON-LINE.

Source: SDR HEEA063320

OTHER · 1999-08-10 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 2430

Part: CONTROL UNIT — FAILED (DC CONTROL)

NR 1 GENERATOR WILL NOT COME ON-LINE.

Source: SDR HEEA063296

OTHER · 1999-08-09 Matched by certificate designator

ATA 3414

Part: INDICATOR — DAMAGED (AIRSPEED)

RED LINES HAVE FADED TO ORANGE ON AIRSPEED INDICATOR.

Source: SDR HEEA063228