N297PA

PIPER PA28 No injuries Part 91 — AeroGuard Flight Training Center

Operated by AeroGuard Flight Training Center (per NTSB report)

ATA 5320

Part: FITTING — CORRODED (FUSELAGE) · airframe 18,930 hrs

DURING A CORROSION CONTROL/AGING AIRCRAFT INSPECTION, CORROSION/RUST LVL 1 WAS FOUND TO RIGHT UPPER FWD COCKPIT FITTING. FITTING IS LOCATED AT RIGHT, LOWER END OF WINDSCREEN NEAR INST PANEL. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT CORROSION WAS CAUSED BY LEAKAGE FROM IMPROPERLY FITTED WINDSCREEN OR CONDENSATION.

ATA 5320

Part: WEB — CRACKED (FUSELAGE) · airframe 18,930 hrs

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, CRACKS WERE FOUND IN THE CABIN STRUCTURE FORWARD OF THE MAIN DOOR. CRACKING WAS FOUND THROUGH RIVET HOLES, AND RIVETS WERE FOUND WORKING/LOOSE. THIS CRACKING IS SUSPECTED TO BE CAUSED BY FORCES IMPOSED ON CABIN DOOR, WHICH IS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO WEB. THE CABIN DOOR IS USED AS A HANDHOLD BY PILOTS CLIMBING IN AND OUT OF AIRCRAFT WHICH CAUSES STRAIN ON CABIN DOOR STRUCTURE.

ATA 5320

Part: CHANNEL — CRACKED (FUSELAGE) · airframe 18,930 hrs

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, A PART THAT FORMS THE FORWARD FRAME OF THE CABIN DOOR SILL WAS FOUND CRACKED. CRACKING WAS THROUGH RIVET HOLES THAT CONTAINED LOOSE, WORKING RIVETS. STRESS TO THIS AREA OF STRUCTURE IS SUSPECTED TO BE CAUSED BY THE CABIN DOOR WHICH IS MOUNTED ADJACENT; CABIN DOOR IS USED AS A HANDHOLD BY PILOTS ENTERING/EXITING CABIN.

ATA 5310

Part: DOOR FRAME — CRACKED (FUSELAGE) · airframe 18,930 hrs

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, A COMPONENT THAT FORMS THE LOWER CABIN OUTBOARD DOOR FRAME WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED. CRACKING WAS FOUND THROUGH RIVET HOLES THAT HAD LOOSE, WORKING RIVETS. IT IS SPECULATED THAT STRESS AND DAMAGE TO THIS STRUCTURE IS FROM OCCASIONALLY BEARING THE WEIGHT OF PEOPLE WHO ENTER/EXIT THE CABIN.

ATA 5310

Part: PAN — CRACKED (FUSELAGE) · airframe 18,930 hrs

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, A COMPONENT THAT FORMS THE LOWER CABIN INBOARD DOOR FRAME WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED. CRACK WAS FROM LIGHTENING DIRECTLY ABOVE MAIN SPAR CARRY THOUGH AND EXTENDED TO EDGE OF MATERIAL. IT IS SPECULATED THAT THIS CRACKING IS CAUSED BY THE CABIN DOOR FRAME OCCASIONALLY BEARING THE WEIGHT OF PEOPLE WHO ENTER/EXIT CABIN.

ATA 8530

Part: CYLINDER — DAMAGED (NR 1) · airframe 17,999 hrs

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, A COMPRESSION TEST WAS PERFORMED. CYLINDER NR 1 DID NOT HOLD PRESSURE AND A LOUD HISSING WAS HEARD FROM THE VICINITY OF CYLINDER HEAD. CYLINDER WAS REMOVED AND A SMALL HOLE WAS OBSERVED IN CYLINDER HEAD BETWEEN FINS, THE HOLE WAS NOT VISIBLE WHEN INSTALLED ON ENGINE BECAUSE OF HOLES LOCATION IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE NR 3 CYLINDER HEAD. NO ROUGHNESS OR POWER LOSS WAS REPORTED WHEN AIRCRAFT WAS GROUND RUN PRIOR TO INSPECTION.

ATA 5320

Part: SUPPORT CHANNEL — CRACKED (ZONE 100) · airframe 17,655 hrs

DURING AN INSPECTION, STRUCTURE THAT HOLDS THE PARKING BRAKE AND HANDLE WAS FOUND CRACKED. STRUCTURE IN QUESTION IS A CHANNEL THAT RUNS BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AFT FACE AND INSTRUMENT PANEL FWD FACE. CRACKING WAS SEEN IN THIS CASE ON THE AFT END OF THE CHANNEL, INSTALLED AGAINST THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE.

ATA 5340

Part: MOUNT — CRACKED (ELT) · airframe 17,209 hrs

WHEN THE ELT WAS BEING REMOVED FOR INSPECTION, DISCOVERED TWO, TWO INCH CRACKS NEXT TO THE NUTPLATES IN THE ELT MOUNTING BRACKET.

ATA 8530

Part: CYLINDER HEAD — CRACKED (NR 2) · airframe 15,156 hrs

BOROSCOPE INSPECTION INDICATED CRACKING IN THE RT ENGINE NR 2 CYLINDER HEAD. AFTER THE CYLINDER WAS REMOVED, CRACKS WERE OBSERVED TO THE SIDE OF THE LOWER SPARK PLUG HOLE.

ATA 7602

Part: CONTROL CABLE — SEPARATED (MIXTURE) · airframe 14,587 hrs

DURING A ROUTINE ENGINE INSPECTION, A TECH NOTED THE RUBBER BOOT COVERING THE SWAGE ON THE END OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE WAS BROKEN APART; HE WROTE UP THE CABLE AND BEGAN TO REMOVE IT. AS HE WAS PULLING THE CABLE OUT OF THE FIREWALL, THE SWAGE CAME OPEN AND REVEALED THAT THE CABLE WAS WORN TO THE POINT IT WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED. IF THE WEAR WOULD HAVE PROGRESSED FURTHER, THE CABLE WOULD HAVE INTERNALLY SEPARATED COMPLETELY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF MIXTURE CONTROL. BECAUSE THE CABLE IS COMPLETELY COVERED BY THE OUTER SLEEVE, THERE IS NO WAY TO VISUALLY INSPECT FOR WEAR UNLESS THE CABLE END SWAGE IS PULLED APART, WHICH DESTROYS THE CABLE. THE MFG DOES NOT RECOMMEND A SERVICE LIMIT FOR ENGINE CONTROL CABLES.