N723FX
Registered owner: FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION, TN (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARON AVIATION SERVICES, INC. (DEMA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
Accident & incident history
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
Maintenance disclosures
PILOT BEGAN TO TAXI FOR TAKEOFF AND REALIZED HIS RIGHT BRAKE WAS UNRESPONSIVE. PILOT RETURNED TO GATE. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND BRAKE CALIPER PISTON PACKING TORN CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE CALIPER WAS REMOVED, DISASSEMBLED, CLEANED, REASSEMBLED WITH NEW PACKINGS, AND RE-INSTALLED ON AIRCRAFT. BLED BRAKES. OPS CHECK GOOD AND AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.
THE AUTOPILOT FAILED IN FLIGHT NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. AFTER THE AUTOPILOT FAILURE, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT PULLED THE AUTOPILOT CIRCUIT BREAKER, RESULTING IN THE COCKPIT SMOKE DECREASING. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. DURING SUBSEQUENT TROUBLESHOOTING BY THE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN, THE AUTOPILOT COMPUTER WAS VERIFIED AS THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE BY VISUAL INSPECTION, HEAT DAMAGED CIRCUIT BOARD COMPONENTS WERE OBSERVED THROUGH THE COOLING OPENINGS ON THE AUTOPILOT CASE.
WHILE REMOVING THE ELEVATOR TRIM ACTUATOR, DISCOVERED THE TRIM CONTROL CABLE WAS INCORRECTLY ROUTED BENEATH THE GUSSET IN THE TAIL CONE RATHER THAN THROUGH THE GUSSET. THIS CAUSED THE CABLES TO RIDE AGAINST THE AFT FLANGE OF THE GUSSET. MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE GUSSET WITH LESS THAN .0312 INCH REMOVED FROM THE GUSSET FLANGE AND NO DAMAGE TO THE CONTROL CABLES. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE CABLES HAD BEEN REMOVED OR RE-ROUTED SINCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEW. RECOMMEND INSPECTING OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THIS RANGE OF SERIAL NUMBERS FOR INCORRECTLY ROUTED TRIM CABLES.