N917AL
Registered owner: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC, CA (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.
11 reports on file, 1999-10-30 – 2001-05-04.
Part: DRIVE SHAFT — FAILED (MAIN ROTOR)
IN CRUISE FLIGHT. VIBRATION IN AIRFRAME AND PEDALS INCREASING IN AMPLITUDE FROM SLIGHT TO EXTREME. WHEN THE VIBRATION REACHED THE EXTREME LEVEL, POWER WAS LOST TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS AUTOROTATED TO THE WATER. INPUT DRIVESHAFT FAILED AND WAS FOUND COMPLETELY DECOUPLED AT THE TRANSMISSION INPUT ADAPTER.
Part: PINION GEAR — BROKEN (TRANSMISSION)
CHIP LIGHT, EXCESSIVE METAL ON LOWER CHIP DETECTOR. FOUND INPUT PINION TO HAVE BROKEN TOOTH, CAUSING EXCESSIVE DAMAGE TO MAIN CASE.
Part: BEARING — ROUGH (T/R DRIVESHAFT) · airframe 916 hrs
DURING DAILY INSPECTION, HOUSING IS CRACKED AND BEARINGS ARE ROUGH. (X)
Part: HOUSING — CRACKED (T/R DRIVESHAFT) · airframe 916 hrs
DURING DAILY INSPECTION, HOUSING IS CRACKED AND BEARINGS ARE ROUGH. (X)
Part: SEAL — LEAKING (CAP ASSY) · airframe 907 hrs
DURING DAILY INSPECTION, FOUND LEAKING, NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS. (X)
Part: DUCT — CRACKED (OIL COOLER) · airframe 907 hrs
UPON DAILY INSPECTION, CRACKS IN CORNERS CAUSED BY INHERENT VIBRATIONS. (X)
Part: DUCT — CRACKED (OIL COOLER) · airframe 787 hrs
UPON DAILY INSPECTION, CRACKS IN CORNERS CAUSED BY INHERENT VIBRATIONS. (X)
Part: BEARING — FAILED
DURING IN-SHOP REPAIR, FOUND ROUGH BEARINGS. INSTALLED SELF-CENTERING BEARINGS. (X)
Part: BEARING — ROUGH (TAIL ROTOR)
DURING IN-SHOP REPAIR, FOUND ROUGH BEARINGS. INSTALLED SELF-CENTERING BEARINGS. REPLACED 2 EACH. (X)
Part: BEARING — WORN (T/R YOKE)
DURING DAILY SERVICE CHECK, FOUND INBOARD FEATHER BEARING WEAR, CAUSING THE OUTER RACE OF FEATHER BEARING TO SHIFT IN YOKE CAUSING BORE TO WEAR BEYOND LIMITS. (X)
Part: DISC PACK — FAILED (T/R DRIVE)
FOUR OF THE DISC PACKS ON THE TAILBOOM WERE FOUND SPREAD WHEN TURNING THE DRIVESHAFT. THE LIMIT IS GIVEN IN THE MM AS BEING .015 INCH OF GAP, AND ALL BUT ONE DISC PACK WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND WAS REPLACED. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE BELL 206 SHOWS THE DISC PACKS EXHIBIT NO GAPS UNLESS DRIVESHAFT HAS HAD EXCESSIVE LOADS OR DAMAGE. SUBMITTER STATED RECEIVED A NEW 407 AND THIS AIRCRAFT HAS DISC PACKS SPREAD ALREADY WITH ONLY 22 HOURS.