N442PA

PIPER PA-28-181 · 2001 · Fixed-wing single-engine · 1 engine · 4 seats · Valid Registration

Registered owner: BIRD ACQUISITION LLC, AZ (owner ≠ operator)

Operators of this aircraft

Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.

OperatorRolePeriodBasis
Transpac Aviation AcademyOperatoron 2015-05-24Operator named in NTSB report

Accident & incident history

Accident · 2015-05-24 Operator named in NTSB report
PIPER PA 28-181 No injuries Part 91Transpac Aviation Academy

Operated by TransPac Aviation Academy (per NTSB report)

Source: NTSB case GAA15CA110

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.

7 reports on file, 2014-03-06 – 2016-10-19.

OTHER · 2016-10-19 Unresolved
ATA 5340

Part: MOUNT BRACKET — CRACKED (ELT) · airframe 18,591 hrs

WHEN THE ELT WAS REMOVED, THE TECH DETERMINED THE ELT MOUNTING BRACKET WAS CRACKED IN FOUR PLACES. THE CRACKS WERE ON EITHER SIDE OF TWO NUTPLATES USED TO MOUNT THE ELT MOUNTING TRAY. THE ELT MOUNTING TRAY HIDES THE CRACKS FROM VISUAL DETECTION.

Source: SDR FQAR20161019036
FLUID LOSS; WARNING INDICATION · 2016-02-21 Unresolved
ATA 7921

Part: OIL COOLER — LEAKING (ENGINE) · airframe 17,486 hrs

AFTER A NORMAL FLIGHT, THE PILOTS NOTICED THERE WAS A LARGE OIL STREAK ON THE LT SIDE OF THE ACFT THAT ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE ENGINE COWL. THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS LESS THAN 4 QTS OF OIL IN THE ENGINE, DESPITE LEAVING FOR THE 2 HR FLIGHT WITH OVER 7 QTS. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL NOTED THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE OIL COOLER.

Source: SDR FQAR20160221007
FLUID LOSS · 2015-10-15 Unresolved
ATA 7322

Part: CARBURETOR — LEAKING (ENGINE) · airframe 17,138 hrs

DURING FLIGHT, THE PILOTS NOTED THE ENGINE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY RUN ROUGH, ACCOMPANIED BY A BURNING ODOR. THE ROUGHNESS AND ODOR WOULD HAPPEN ONLY BRIEFLY. UPON THEIR RETURN TO THE APRON, THE PILOTS REPORTED THE ISSUES TO MAINTENANCE, WHO DETERMINED THE CARBURETOR WAS THE SOURCE OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE CARB WAS SEEN TO BE LEAKING FUEL FROM THE THROTTLE VALVE SHAFT BUSHING.

Source: SDR FQAR20151015101
PARTIAL RPM/PWR LOSS · 2015-05-11 Unresolved
ATA 7322

Part: CARBURETOR — BINDING (ENGINE) · airframe 16,992 hrs

DURING FLIGHT, THE PILOTS NOTED THAT WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS BROUGHT TO LOW POWER/IDLE, IT WOULD BECOME STUCK AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO FORCE OR JIGGLE THE THROTTLE UNTIL IT OPENED. THEY ELECTED TO RETURN TO BASE. INSPECTION REVEALED THE CARBURETOR WAS STICKING WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS CLOSED OR CLOSE TO CLOSED. THE STICKING APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE ACCELERATOR PUMP.

Source: SDR FQAR20150512034
PARTIAL RPM/PWR LOSS; ENGINE STOPPAGE · 2015-02-06 Unresolved
ATA 7322

Part: CARBURETOR — OUT OF ADJUST (ENGINE) · airframe 16,743 hrs

ON CLIMB, THE STUDENT PILOT BEGAN TO ACTION THE CRUISE CHECKLIST, WHICH INCLUDED LEANING THE MIXTURE. SOON AFTER LEANING, THE ENGINE DIED BUT RESTARTED WHEN THE MIXTURE WAS RETURNED TO FULL RICH. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO WAVER IN RPM, RANDOMLY SURGING 50 RPM, BEFORE COMING CLOSE TO DYING COMPLETELY A SECOND TIME. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT SAFELY AND MAINTENANCE WAS CONTACTED. MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS DISCOVERED THE CARBURETOR WAS CAUSING A VERY HIGH MIXTURE SHUTDOWN RISE WHICH COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED. THE CARBURETOR WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUN WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED.

Source: SDR FQAR20150217026
OTHER · 2014-07-14 Unresolved
ATA 5340

Part: BRACKET — CRACKED (FLAP HANDLE) · airframe 16,103 hrs

DURING A PROGRESSIVE INSPECTION EVENT, A BRACKET WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED BELOW WHERE THE FLAP HANDLE IS MOUNTED. THE BRACKET IN QUESTION IS LOCATED IN THE TUNNEL IN THE CENTER OF THE CABIN FLOOR AND IS USED TO MOUNT THE FLAP HANDLE ASSY. IT CONTAINS 2 NUT PLATES TO ALLOW THE HANDLE ASSY TO BE BOLTED TO IT THROUGH THE TUNNEL. THE CRACK WAS IN THE UPPER RT CORNER OF THE BRACKET, BETWEEN A NUTPLATE AND THE EDGE OF THE METAL. IT IS SPECULATED THAT THE CRACK IS CAUSED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE FLAP HANDLE CAUSING STRESS TO THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURE.

Source: SDR FQAR20140714040
VIBRATION/BUFFET · 2014-03-06 Unresolved
ATA 7414

Part: HOUSING — CONTAMINATED (MAGNETO) · airframe 15,660 hrs

AFTER TAKEOFF, NOTED ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. DID NOT REPORT ANY POWER OR RPM LOSS. DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE FLIGHT. MAINTENANCE RAN THE ACFT ON GROUND AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ROUGHNESS, A VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE'S ACCESSORIES REVEALED THE MAGNETO TIMING HOUSING WAS CONTAMINATED WITH OIL. REPLACED, AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE GROUND RUNS WERE SATISFACTORY.

Source: SDR FQAR20140310027