N3267N

Piper PA-18S None injury — operator not yet resolved

ATA 5320

WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, CRACKS WERE NOTED ON A LATERAL CHANNEL IN THE TAIL SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE. CRACKS WERE APPEARING ON THE UPPER LT AND RT CORNERS AT THE CUTOUT RELIEFS. THIS AREA IS DIFFICULT TO VIEW AND ANY DEFECTS EASILY OVERLOOKED.

ATA 3233

FOUND NUT MISSING, RT SIDE INBD LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ROD ATTACH POINT WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE GEAR ACTUATOR CROSS ARM. DISCOVERED NUT AND COTTER PIN REMNANTS UNDER GEAR ACTUATOR. UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION, NOTED THAT THE ACTUATOR ROD BUSHING (56-810015-1) HAD WORN INTO THE AN 960-416 WASHERS THAT ARE ABOVE AND BELOW IT AND CAUSED THE ROD TO BIND WITH THE BOLT (130909B84), CAUSING THE BOLT TO TURN EACH TIME THE GEAR MOVED, UNTIL IT HAD EATEN THROUGH THE COTTER PIN AND LOOSENED THE NUT, WHICH VIBRATED OFF IN FLIGHT. THE BUSHING IS EXTREMELY THIN AND EVEN WITH ALL NEW HARDWARE AT A STANDARD TORQUE OF 50 INCH POUNDS, THE BUSHING LEAVES AN INDENT ON THE WASHERS. WE ARE MONITORING THE HARDWARE FOR SIGNS OF LOOSENESS, AND REPLACING IT AS IT COMES IN FOR SERVICE.

ATA 7414

DURING A PREFLIGHT RUN-UP, THE LEFT ENGINE WAS OBSERVED TO ONLY PRODUCE ABOUT 2000 RPM. INSPECTION OF THE LEFT MAGNETO REVEALED THE BRONZE BEARING HAD BECOME LOOSE IN THE DISTRIBUTOR BLOCK ALLOWING THE DISTRIBUTOR GEAR ELECTRODE TO STRIKE AND DAMAGE SEVERAL OF THE DISTRIBUTOR BLOCK ELECTRODES. THIS IS THE THIRD INSTANCE OF A BENDIX 1200 SERIES MAGNETO TO FAIL IN THIS CONDITION AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME OF AROUND 1300 HOURS. THESE MAGNETOS HAVE BEEN INSPECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 500 HOUR REQUIREMENTS OF THE TCM 1200 SERIES MAINTENANCE MANUAL AT THE REQUIRED INTERVALS. ALL THESE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN A 6 WEEK TIME FRAME. TCM HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND THEY ARE AWARE OF 2 OTHER SIMILAR FAILURES AND THEY ARE PERFORMING AN ANALYTICAL INSPECTION ON THE RETURNED UNITS.

ATA 7430

RIGHT ENGINE FAILED TO CRANK UPON APPLICATION OF STARTER. PILOT NOTED SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL FROM UNDER INSTRUMENT PANEL. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH CUPS WERE SEVERLY WORN, AND CONTACT POINTS WERE BURNT. SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. WE SUGGEST DISSASEMBLY AND INSPECTION OF THESE SWITCHES FOR WORN COMPONENTS AND PROPER LUBRICATION ON A 500HR BASIS TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURING AGAIN.

ATA 3610

DURING PROLONGED PERIODS OF OPERATION IN HEAVY PRECIPITATION CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF WATER ENTER INTO THE PNEUMATIC SYSTEM. INSP OF PNEUMATIC SYS REVEALED LG AMOUNTS OF WATER BEING PASSED THROUGH DEICE BOOT EJECTOR, FURTHER DISASSEMBLY INSP REVEALED SEVERAL OUNCES OF WATER REMAINING IN SYS. SYS WAS PURGED OF ALL WATER AND DRIED. AC WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. FLIGHT CREW REPORTED AC AGAIN WAS OPERATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME IN HEAVY PRECIPITATION. THIS AC HAS A HISTORY OF PREMATURE FLIGHT COMMAND INDICATOR FAILURES CAUSED BY RUST AND WATER CONTAMINATION. RELOCATE THE PNEUMATIC SYS FILTER TO AN AREA BEHIND THE ENGINE BAFFLE ASSEMBLY WHERE IT WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO IMPACT WATER. (K)

ATA 3340

INTERNAL UPPER BRAIDED CONDUCTOR ON LINE SIDE FAILED, SEPARATED FROM ITS CONTACT OR WELD. SPRING MECHANISM FOR SWITCH BECOMES CONDUCTOR. SPRING CAN NOT HANDLE THE CURRENT OF LANDING LIGHT CIRCUIT, AND OVERHEATS. OVERHEATING OF SPRING CAUSED NYLON TOGGLE ASSY TO FAIL. TOGGLE ASSY IS RENDERED USELESS, SWITCH LOOSES ALL MECHANICAL FUNCTION. SWITCH CONTINUES TO COMPLETE CIRCUIT, OVERHEAT MELTING THE SWITCH HSG. AS HSG AND OTHER INTERNAL COMPONENTS FAIL, SWITCH LOOSES ITS CIRCUIT PROTECTION FEATURE, SMOKE IS EMITTED INTO COCKPIT. THIS PROCESS WILL ONLY DISCONTINUE WHEN ALL POWER IS REMOVED. ONCE POWER IS REMOVED FROM AC, SWITCH WILL COOL ALLOWING UPPER CONTACT TO OPEN, WHICH OPENS THE CIRCUIT. (K)

ATA 2720

THERE IS A SCREW HOLE DRILLED OUT IN THE PANEL DIRECTLY ABOVE ROD. AN INSTALLATION OF A LONG SCREW IN THIS HOLE WILL RESULT IN THE SCREW CHAFING THE ROD. SUBMITTER STATED THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THIS DAMAGE.