N646H
Registered owner: STYER DAVID B, OR (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
No operator established for this aircraft.
Accident & incident history
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.
6 reports on file, 2002-01-04 – 2004-05-19.
Part: DOUBLER — CRACKED (TAILBOOM)
BULKHEAD DOUBLER UNDER NR 3 TAILROTOR DRIVESHAFT PILLOW BLOCK FOUND CRACKED. CRACKS WERE PROPAGATING FROM THE RADIUS AREA ON BOTH UPPER TABS WERE THE NUT PLATES ARE RIVETED ON. BOTH NUT PLATES HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ROUNDED IN THE RADIUS AREA TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF CRACKING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE OUTSIDE RADIUS ON THE DOUBLER IS TOO LARGE TO FIT IN THE INSIDE RADIUS OF THE BULKHEAD, CREATING AN AREA BETWEEN THE TWO PIECES THAT IS COMPRESSED WHEN THE BOLT IS TIGHTENED INTO THE NUT PLATE AND THERE BY CAUSING THE DOUBLER TO CRACK.
Part: BEARING — DELAMINATED (RUBBER)
PILOTS COMPLAINED ABOUT HEAVY COLLECTIVE AND EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RT COLLECTIVE INPUT TO FLY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE LAMIFLEX BEARINGS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RUBBER AND BRASS MATERIAL WAS EXTRUDING AND DELAMINATING. UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. USEFUL LIFE IS RATED AT FIVE YEARS, AND THESE HAD 25 MONTHS TIME IN SERVICE WHEN REMOVED.
Part: CONTROL CABLE — WORN (TAIL ROTOR)
BOTH REAR TAIL ROTOR CONTROLS CABLES WERE WORN WHERE THEY PASS THROUGH PLASTIC FAIR-LEADS IN AFT BULKHEAD OF TAIL BOOM. BOTH WERE WORN TO 40-50 PERCENT INSP CRITERIA. THIS IS BECOMING A CHRONIC PROBLEM AS RECORDS INDICATE THEY WERE REPLACED 1 MAY 2001, AFT OF 2821.0; 15 MAR 2002, AFT OF 3159.7, 338.7 HOURS TIME IN SERVICE ON THE CABLES; 5 FEB. 2003, AFT OF 3551.1, 391.4 HOURS TIME IN SERVICE; AND NOW, 25 SEP 2003, AFT OF 4043.9, 492.8 HOURS TIME IN SERVICE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDED TENSION ON THE CABLES AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT IS USED FOR AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING AND THE ACCUMULATION OF DIRT MAY BE ABRASIVE IN THE AREA OF THE FAIR-LEADS. PERHAPS A KIT TO INSTALL PULLEYS IN THAT AREA.
Part: CLUTCH — WORN (DRIVE BELT)
ON DRIVE BELT CLUTCH MECHANISM, THE SPRING HAD WORN THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE HOUSING FROM MANY HOURS OF RUBBING BACK AND FORTH. THE ABOVE MENTIONED SPRING AND THE SPRING CAP WERE ALSO WORN BEYOND THE INSPECTION CRITERIA IN THE MFG MM. AS FAR AS WE COULD TELL FROM RESEARCHING RECORDS, THESE ARE ALL ORIGINAL PARTS WITH 4032.1 HOURS ON THEM. PERHAPS REGULAR INSPECTION INTERVALS, 500 TO 1000 HOURS, WOULD CATCH A PROBLEM BEFORE IT BECOMES CATASTROPHIC.
Part: CONTROL CABLE — WORN (TAIL ROTOR)
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT TAIL ROTOR CONTROL CABLES SHOW EXCESS WEAR, WHERE THEY PASS THRU THE FAIRLEADS IN THE AFT TALL CONE BULKHEAD. CABLES HAVE BEEN WEARING IN THIS LOCATION CONSTANTLY EVERY 300 TO 400 HOURS. SUGGEST A WIDER CONTACT SURFACE AREA AT THE FAIR LEAD TO REDUCE THE CONCENTRATION OF FRICTION.
Part: LINE — BROKEN (FUEL SYSTEM)
THE TUBE FAILED INSIDE THE FERRULE ON THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FITTING DUE TO RUBBING AND VIBRATION. FAILURE WAS FOUND AFTER PILOT COMPLAINED OF LOW M.A.P., ABOUT 2 IN HG, AT MAXIMUM OPERATING PERIMETERS, AND FUEL CONSUMPTION LOW.