N35475

ATA 7900

Part: HOSE — LEAKING (OIL COOLER) · airframe 12,711 hrs

DURING CRUISE, PILOT NOTICED RT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATED ZERO PSI. NEAREST AIRPORT WAS AT DESTINATION, APPROX 30 MILES AWAY. PILOT DID NOT SEE ANY ABNORMAL OIL TEMPS, CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS, EGT, MANIFOLD PRESSURE, FUEL FLOW & FUEL PRESSURE NOMINAL. APPROX 10 MINS & APPROX 7 MILES FROM DESTINATION, RT ENG RPM BEGAN TO DECREASE UNCOMMANDED & FUEL FLOW DECREASED. PILOT FEATHERED RT PROPELLER, & SHUTDOWN RT ENG, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OIL ON LOWER RT NACELLE. VISUAL INSPECTION ISOLATED THE SOURCE OF OIL LEAK TO OIL COOLER OUTLET HOSE INTEGRATED METAL FITTING. HOSE & FITTING ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 544 HOURS SINCE NEW & 15 MONTHS SINCE INSTALLATION.

ATA 1410

Part: HOSE — LEAKING (ZONE 400) · airframe 12,711 hrs

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THE RIGHT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE SUDDENLY INDICATED 0 PSI. THE NEAREST AIRPORT WAS THE DESTINATION AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AWAY. THE PILOT DID NOT OBSERVE ANY ABNORMAL OIL TEMPERATURE, CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE, EGT, AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE, FUEL FLOW AND FUEL PRESSURE REMAINED NOMINAL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AND APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE RIGHT ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO DECREASE UNCOMMANDED AND FUEL FLOW DECREASED. THE PILOT FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROPELLER, AND SHUTDOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OIL ON THE LOWER NACELLE SECTION OF THE RIGHT HAND ENGINE. FURTHER VISUAL INSPECTION ISOLATED THE SOURCE OF THE OIL LEAKE TO BE ON THE OIL COOLER OUTLET HOSE INTEGRATED METAL FITTING / ANGLE. THE HOSE AND ASSOCIATED FITTING HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 544 HOURS SINCE NEW AND 15 MONTHS SINCE INSTALLATION.

ATA 5230

Part: DOOR — MISRIGGED (ZONE 800) · airframe 12,338 hrs

WHILE IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT, THE LOWER CABIN ENTRY DOOR AND AFT CARGO DOOR CAME OPEN, UNCOMMANDED, RESULTING IN A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. PRIOR TO THE UNCOMMANDED OPENING, THE CABIN DOOR UNSAFE LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED AND BOTH THE PILOT AND RAMP AGENT CONFIRMED THAT THE DOOR HAD BEEN FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND WAS SECURED WITH THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT EXTINGUISHED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. INSPECTION OF THE ENTRY AND CARGO DOOR REVEALED THAT THE LOWER ENTRY DOOR AFT LATCH SPRING HAD FAILED, HOWEVER THE SECONDARY PIN THAT SECURES THE ENTRY DOOR TO THE CARGO DOOR WAS FUNCTIONING AND SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE LOWER DOOR FROM OPENING. INSPECTION OF THE CARGO DOOR DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS ISSUES, HOWEVER WHEN AN INWARD/OUTWARD FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE CARGO DOOR BY HAND APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES, THE CARGO DOOR LATCH WOULD MOVE FROM A SECURED TO AN OPEN POSITION. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THE CARGO DOOR LATCHING ROD/CLEVIS ASSEMBLY DIMENSIONS WERE BELOW MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE MANUAL. NO SPECIFIC INSPECTION OF CARGO LATCH RIGGING UNLESS THE LATCH IS REMOVED/REPLACED WERE LOCATED IN THE SERVICE MANUAL. NO SPECIFIC INSPECTION CRITERIA FOR THE DOOR OPERATION COULD BE FOUND OTHER THAN VERIFICATION THAT THE DOORS CLOSED AND LATCHES MOVED TO THE SECURED POSITION WAS FOUND IN MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS. HAVE ADDED AN INTERNAL MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDED A CYCLICAL INWARD/OUTWARD FORCE ON THE CARGO DOOR TO VERIFY THE LATCH REMAINS IN THE SECURED POSITION.

ATA 7414

Part: BRUSHES — MISSING (MAGNETO) · airframe 8,729 hrs

ENGINE HAS BEEN HARD TO START FROM DATE OF INSTALL. DURING 500 HR MAGNETO INSPECTION BOTH DISTRIBUTOR GEARS WERE MISSING BRUSHES (CONTACTS) & SPRINGS. HAVE GONE THROUGH TROUBLESHOOTING BECAUSE OF THE STARTING ISSUE. IT IS OUR CONCLUSION THAT THE BRUSHES WERE NEVER INSTALLED DURING OVERHAUL OF MAGNETO.

ATA 8530

Part: LIFTER — BROKEN (EXHAUST VALVE) · airframe 8,729 hrs

DURING ANNUAL INSP, A PIECE OF METAL (APP .2500" SQUARE) WAS FOUND IN THE SUCTION SCREEN. INSPECTION REVEALED NR 6 EXHAUST LIFTER BODY WAS MISSING A PIECE WHERE THE HYD TAPPET PLUNGER ASSY INSERTS INTO THE LIFTER BODY. NO REPORTS OF LOSS IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE.

ATA 2210

Part: AUTOPILOT SYS — MALFUNCTIONED (ZONE 100)

AUTOPILOT. COUPLED APPROACHES RESULT ERRATIC ROLL HUNTING AND/OR OVERCORRECTION AND PITCH UNSTABILITY.

ATA 2210

Part: INTERFACE UNIT — DEFECTIVE (AUTOPILOT SYS) · airframe 8,690 hrs

AIRCRAFT IDENTIFIED ABOVE WAS UPGRADED TO AN ASPEN EFD 1000C PRO PFD SYSTEM WITH AN EA 100 AUTOPILOT INTERFACE ON 4/1/2011. ITEMS REMOVED WAS KCS 55A & KI 256 FLIGHT DIRECTOR. THE AIRCRAFT WILL NOT HOLD A STABILIZED APPROACH COUPLED TO THE KFC 200 AUTOPILOT. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE INCLUDING ADJUSTMENTS AND REPLACEMENT OF BOTH ASPEN UNITS FROM THE DATE OF INSTALLATION. THE ERRORS VARY INITIALLY AS SLIGHT CORRECTIONS TO MORE PRONOUNCED OVER CORRECTIONS, MAKING THE AUTOPILOT COUPLED APPROACH UNUSABLE. ON 9/13/2011 THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALTERED, REPLACING THE ASPEN EA 100 (AUTOPILOT INTERFACE) WITH A KI 256. THE RESULTS WERE A FLAWLESS, STABLE IN ALL MODES, INCLUDING A COUPLED APPROACH. SUSPECT PART FAILURE OR INCOMPATIBILITY; ASPEN EA 100 THE TRIED & PROVEN KFC 200 AUTOPILOT SYSTEM. OUR SUGGESTION IS THE ASPEN EA 100 BE REPLACED WITH A MORE RELIABLE AUTOPILOT INTERFACE.