N917TL
Registered owner: COOK CHILDRENS HEALTH ENTERPRISES, TX (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| METRO AVIATION, INC (HDNA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
Accident & incident history
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
Maintenance disclosures
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE FLIGHT CREW DETECTED AN UNUSUAL ODOR IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE SMELL DID NOT APPEAR TO ORIGINATE FROM ANY SPECIFIC LOCATION AND WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY THE CABIN CREW. ONE PILOT DESCRIBED THE ODOR AS POSSIBLY âBURNING,â THOUGH NOT ELECTRICAL IN NATURE, WHILE THE OTHER DESCRIBED IT AS âWOODY.â NO SMOKE WAS OBSERVED AT ANY TIME. THE FLIGHT LASTED LESS THAN 15 MINUTES AND REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 12,000 FEET BEFORE RETURNING TO LAND. THE INTENSITY OF THE ODOR DID NOT INCREASE AFTER IT WAS FIRST NOTICED. NO ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED, AND NO ODOR WAS DETECTED. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL PERFORMED ENGINE RUNS, OPERATED ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, AND CARRIED OUT THOROUGH INSPECTIONS FOR ANY SIGNS OF ODOR OR ABNORMALITIES. NONE WERE FOUND. BLEED AIR SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY, WITH AIRFLOW THROUGH THE AIR CYCLE MACHINE (ACM) INTO THE CABIN. AFTER COMPLETING ALL GROUND INSPECTIONS, AN OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE SAME FLIGHT CREW AND A TECHNICIAN ONBOARD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN FOR OVER 30 MINUTES AND CLIMBED TO 20,000 FEET. AT NO POINT DURING THE FLIGHT WAS ANY UNUSUAL ODOR OR SMOKE DETECTED. UPON COMPLETION OF THE CHECK FLIGHT, THE TECHNICIAN CONDUCTED A FINAL INSPECTION OF THE CABIN, TAIL BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, AND EQUIPMENT AREAS. NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE, ODOR, OR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
NOSE GEAR DOOR TORQUE TUBE CRACKED FULL CIRCUMFERENCE AT WELD ATTACHMENT. DUE TO THE CRACKED NOSE GEAR TORQUE TUBE THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE UNABLE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY.
THE NOSE GEAR DEICE BOOT P.N. 6542002-2 WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE NOSE GEAR CHROME PISTON P.N. 66452100-2 AND BEARING P.N. 6642307-1 RESULTING IN THE STRUT STAYING COMPRESSES AFTER TAKEOFF AND WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED THE NOSE GEAR UP LOCK ROLLERS DID NOT ENGAGE WITH THE UP LOCK HOOKS THUS COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE NOSE GEAR DOOR CAUSING DAMAGE. DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR FAILING TO LOCK IN THE UP POSITION THE HYDRAULIC MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN CAUSING THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE AND THE ANTI SKID ANNUNCIATORS TO ILLUMINATE. ONCE THE NOSE GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION WITH A GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED THE HYDRAULIC PUMP WAS ABLE TO BUILD THE PRESSURE REQUIRED TO OPERATE THE BRAKING AND ANTISKID SYSTEM AS REQUIRED AND EXTINGUISH THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE AND THE ANTI SKID ANNUNCIATORS.
LEFT HYDRAULIC LOW FLOW CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN FLIGHT WITH AN UN COMMANDED ROLL TO THE LEFT WITH THE FLAPS SET AT NORMAL POSITION AND LANDING GEAR TOWED IN THE UP POSITION. LANDING GEAR UP AND LOCKED INDICATED NORMAL. WHEN THE HYDRAULIC LOW FLOW CAUTION ILLUMINATED THE WING FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POSITION.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON APPROACH INTO AIRPORT, AT LANDING GEAR EXTENSION SPEED THEY SELECTED GEAR DOWN WITH A RESULT OF THE NOSE GEAR TRANSITION LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED WITHOUT A GREEN NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT ILLUMINATION. THE CREW FOLLOWED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR THIS GEAR UNSAFE CONDITION WITH THE SAME RESULTS, NOSE GEAR TRANSITION LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED AND NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITH OUT INCIDENT. THE NOSE GEAR DISCREPANCY WAS TROUBLESHOT TO THE GEAR POSITION SWITCH THAT IS INTEGRAL TO THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE UNIT, LANDING SWINGS COMPLIED WITH, EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECK COMPLIED WITH, AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM COMPLIED WITH A FINAL SERVICE WITH NITROGEN. AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FOR SERVICE.