N3108B

SWEARINGEN SA227-AC None injury Part 91 — BUSINESS AVIATION COURIER, INC.

Cessna 170B Minor injury — operator not yet resolved

ATA 2697

ON JANUARY 14TH, 2020, DAKOTA 1024 DEPARTED THIEF RIVER FALLS (KTVF) AIRPORT AT 1844 AND CLIMBED TO 17,000 FEET MSL. WHILE APPROACHING THE GOLLF INTERSECTION ON THE GOPHER ONE ARRIVAL, ARTCC ASSIGNED DESCEND AND MAINTAIN 10,000 FEET MSL. AT APPROXIMATELY 11,000 FEET MSL DURING THE DESCENT, A GLOW WAS NOTICED UNDER THE PIC SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE GLOW, WHICH WAS ORANGE IN COLOR, GREW IN BRIGHTNESS FOR 0.5 TO 1 SECOND BEFORE DIMMING AGAIN. THE WHOLE EPISODE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 SECONDS. I ADVISED THE CENTER CONTROLLER THAT THERE WAS A SHORT PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT I WAS TROUBLESHOOTING. WHILE MAKING THIS TRANSMISSION, A SMALL PLUME OF SMOKE CAME FROM THE PANEL AND A DISTINCT, OVERPOWERING SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING WAS NOTED. I IMMEDIATELY DONNED THE OXYGEN MASK AND ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, WARY OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BEHIND THE PANEL. CENTER GAVE ME VECTORS TO ST. CLOUD AIRPORT (KSTC) AND AUTHORIZED A DESCENT TO 3,500 FEET MSL. DURING THE DESCENT, I SEARCHED BOTH VISUALLY AND WITH MY HANDS, ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS, NOT FINDING THAT ANY HAD BEEN BLOWN. IN ASSESSING THAT NO INSTRUMENTS OR LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, I ELECTED TO DELAY TRANSFERRING POWER BETWEEN ESSENTIAL BUSES AND FOCUS MY EFFORTS ON PROPERLY AND SAFELY EXECUTING THE APPROACH AND LANDING. AT THIS POINT IN MY TROUBLESHOOTING, I WAS ENTERING A CROSSWIND FOR RUNWAY 31 AT KSTC. A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDING WERE MADE. FIREFIGHTING PERSONNEL ANALYZED THE AIRCRAFT WITH A THERMAL IMAGING DEVICE AND DEEMED THAT NO IMMINENT THREAT EXISTED. MAINTENANCE WAS CALLED OUT AND A VERY THOROUGH INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ALL SYSTEMS, LIGHTING AND INSTRUMENTS WERE FUNCTIONAL TESTED AND FOUND TO BE OPERATIONAL. THE ONLY ITEM NOTED DURING THE INSPECTION WAS A RING TERMINAL ON THE WING DEICE LIGHT SWITCH HAD SIGNS OF HEAT DAMAGE. THE RING TERMINALS WERE REPLACED WITH NEW.

ATA 2697

DURING CRUISE, THE NR 2 ENGINE FIRE PANEL LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER ON. REDUCED POWER AND CHECKED ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE ENGINE FIRE LIGHT CAME ON STEADY. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE LIGHT WENT OUT. THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. MAINTENANCE INSPECTION REVEALED A CHAFED WIRE FROM THE ENGINE FIRE DETECTOR PROBE.

ATA 7321

WHILE ON TAKEOFF, THE PILOT BEGAN TO LOSE POWER FROM THE RT ENGINE. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE "STOP & FEATHER" CONTROL AND SECURED THE ENGINE. HE COMPLETED A GO AROUND TO AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. MX WAS CALLED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE O-RINGS THAT SEALED THE START PRESSURE REGULATOR TO THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT HAD FAILED. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE TO THE FUEL CONTROL. NEW O-RINGS WERE INSTALLED AND THE ENGINE WAS GROUND RUN AND LEAK CHECKED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.

ATA 7261

WHILE ENROUTE, THE PILOT NOTICED HIS LT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE FLUCTUATING. SHORTLY THERE AFTER THE "LOW OIL PRESSURE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SINCE HE WAS VERY CLOSE TO HIS DESTINATION, THE PILOT ELECTED TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND SECURE IT AS A PRECAUTION. PILOT MADE UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENGINE LANDING. UPON INVESTIGATION MY MAINT , IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE LINE DAMPER FITTING O-RING HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED OIL TO SEEP PAST THE FITTING. THIS DEPLETED THE ENGINE OIL SUPPLY UNTIL, THERE WAS AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER PRESSURE. A NEW O-RING WAS INSTALLED AND GROUND RUNS PERFORMED WITH NO LEAK NOTED. (K)

ATA 5610

WHILE ON CLIMB OUT, THE PILOTS WINDSHIELD BLEW OUT AND CAUSED A RAPID DE-COMPRESSION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT TOOK EMERGENCY ACTION AND PERFORMED A RAPID DECENT TO A SUITABLE ALTITUDE. NO COMMUNICATION COULD BE ESTABLISHED WITH ANYONE DUE TO THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE PILOTS HEADSET SO 7700 WAS SQUAWKED ON THE AIRCRAFT TRANSPONDER. THE PILOT MOVED INTO THE RIGHT SEAT AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, WHERE HE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. AFTER QUESTIONING THE PILOT ABOUT THE INCIDENT, IT CAN ONLY BE SPECULATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE COLD AIR (-40) AND WITH THE WINDSHIELD HEAT SELECTED ON, A FRACTURED DEVELOPED IN THE OUTER WINDOWPANE ALLOWING IT TO FAIL.

ATA 7261

WHILE ON APPROACH, THE RT (LOW OIL PRESSURE) LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT OBSERVED THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS READING 40 PSI AND FALLING. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SHUT THE RT ENGINE DOWN AS A PRECAUTION. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE. UPON INVESTIGATION BY MAINTENANCE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GASKET AT THE NOSE CONE OF THE RT ENGINE HAD FAILED AND SEEPED OIL UNTIL THERE WAS AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY.

ATA 5330

WHILE EN ROUTE FROM SJU TO POS, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A POSSIBLE LIGHTNING STRIKE DURING CLIMB TO 16,000 FT. THE RIGHT GENERATOR AND BOTH BATTERIES CAME OFF LINE. THE CAPTAIN RESET THE GENERATOR AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SJU WITHOUT INCIDENT AND MAINTENANCE CONDUCTED A LIGHTING STRIKE INSPECTION AND DISCOVERED EXIT HOLES AND MELTED RIVETS ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE, A BROKEN HF ANTENNA, DAMAGED VERTICAL FIN CAP, AND A DAMAGED PROPELLER AND ENGINE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. MAINTENANCE IS REPAIRING THE DAMAGED AREAS AND A PROP CHANGE AND ENGINE CHANGE IS IN PROGRESS.