EPPS AIR SERVICE, LLC

AN INTERNAL LEAK ON THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR CAUSED THE FLUID TO CIRCULATE IN THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW SUFFICANT PRESSURE TO BUILD IN THE SYSTEM TO HOLD THE LANDING GEAR IN THE UP POSITION. THE LANDING GEAR SLOWLY CREPT DOWN IN FLIGHT ALERTING THE CREW AT WHICH POINT THEY RETURN TO KPDK WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING.

DURING THE DEPARTURE, CLIMBING THROUGH FL240, WHEN THE OIL PRESSURE ON THE LEFT ENGINE STARTED DROPPING. THE MASTER WARNING LIGHT AND THE LOW OIL PRESSURE ANNUNCIATION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CONFIRMING THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATION. THE ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN . THE CREW FOLLOWED UP WITH THE CHECK LIST AND RETURNED TO DEPARTURE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FOUND THE OIL CAP CRACKED

AFTER INITIAL START UP. DURING TAXI OUT THE CREW NOTED RT BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE PIC RETURNED TO THE PARKING SPACE AND EXECUTED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN.

ACFT LINED UP FOR TAKEOFF. AFTER SETTING POWER AT 43 PSI TORQUE, A STANDARD TAKEOFF OCCURRED. AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FT AGL, THE MASTER CAUTION ILLUMINATED AND SAW THE TORQUE GAUGE SURGING BACK AND FORTH FROM 35-51 PSI, ABOVE MAX LIMITATIONS, WITHOUT ANYONE TOUCHING THE THROTTLE. TRIED ADJUSTING THE THROTTLE LOWER, TO NO AVAIL, DID NOT FEEL THE ENGINE ITSELF SURGE, BUT BEING SO CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND CONCENTRATING ON FLYING, COULD NOT CHECK ALL THE OTHER GAUGES AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM PROPERLY. ASKED THE COPILOT, WHO HAD JUST SWITCHED TO DEPARTURE FREQUENCY TO ADVISE WE NEEDED TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN AND RETURN TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. COPILOT RELAYED THAT TO ATC, WHO ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY FOR PRIORITY. WE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, REMAINED LT CLOSED TRAFFIC AND RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHECK LISTS. ONCE THE POWER WAS PULLED BACK TO ABOUT 30 PSI, THE TORQUE SURGING STOPPED. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON RUNWAY 15 AND TAXIED IN. NO EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE USED OR EVER SEEN.

APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT WITH 2 PASSENGERS, AT 16,000 FT THE COPILOT SIDE WINDOW OUTER LAYER CRACKED. WE WERE IN IMC CONDITIONS FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT WITH SOME RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW. THE CRACKING WAS PRECEEDED BY SOME ELECTRICAL ARCING ON THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD SIDE. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERT TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT. DESCENDED AND FLEW THE ILS 6 APPROACH INTO AIRPORT UNEVENTFULLY.

ENROUTE, APPROX 35 MINS FROM KINT, WE HEARD A LOUD POP & PRESSURIZATION ROC WENT TO 4,000 FPM UP, INITIATED A DECENT. DECLARED EMER, INITIATED & COMPLETED EMER PROCEDURES & DIVERTED. CABIN PRESS STABILIZED APPROX 13,000' CABIN ALTITUDE.

TWO CREW & TWO PAXS, CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 3L, AT APPROX 800 FEET AGL. CALLED FOR FLAPS TO BE MOVED FROM 30 DEGREES TO 40 DEGREES. A FEW SECONDS LATER WE RECEIVED A FLAPS & PUSHER ANNUNCIATOR FOLLOWED BY AN AURAL, FLAP ASYMMETRY, WARNING. AT THAT POINT WE INITIATED A GO AROUND, RAN THE CHECKLIST & DECLARED AN EMER. WE REQUESTED A RETURN FOR LANDING ON 3R. THE LANDING WAS A NORMAL, FLAPS 40 LANDING WITH NO ANOMALIES.

EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION T HANDLE BROKE OFF DURING A TEST OF THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION SYS DURING ROUTINE MX.

DEPARTED AND ABOUT 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 14,500 FEET THE PILOT'S PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY (PFD) AND THE UPPER MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY (MFD) WENT BLACK WITH NO RED "X'S". ABOUT 2 SECONDS LATER THE COPILOT PFD AND LOWER MFD WENT BLACK WITH NO RED "X'S". ALL 4 SCREENS WERE BLACK FOR 3 TO 5 SECONDS AND THEN THE COPILOT PFD AND LOWER MFD CAME BACK UP AND THE PILOT PFD AND UPPER MFD CAME UP WITH RED "X'S". THE CAS WINDOW HAD "CHECK DU 1 & 2" AND "AGM1 FAIL" ABOUT 2 SECONDS LATER ALL 4 SCREENS CAME BACK AND THERE WERE NO CAS MESSAGES. THE FLIGHT PLAN CAME BACK UP ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER AND THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONED NORMALLY BACK TO AIRPORT.

A SMALL 3 BY 5 INCH BULGING SECTION OF THE BELLY SKIN WAS NOTED DURING INSPECTION. SKIN BULGE WAS LOCATED IN THE CENTER WING SECTION ON THE BELLY OF THE ACFT. TWO RIVETS HAD PULLED THROUGH AND THREE ARE PRESENTLY STRESSED. REMOVED ADF ANTENNA AND A BORESCOPE INSPECTION DID NOT REVEAL ANY USEFUL INFORMATION. AN EDDY CURRENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO CRACKS IN THE SKIN PANEL. AN ULTRASONIC THICKNESS INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED, ALSO WITH NO USEFUL FINDINGS. THE SKIN PANEL WILL BE REMOVED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND REPAIR OF THE UNDER LYING STRUCTURE. OPEN

POWER APPEARED TO BE NORMAL ON TAKEOFF AND THE INITIAL CLIMBOUT. CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 16,500 FT, OBSERVED THAT POWER CONTROL LEVER WAS UP AGAINST FORWARD STOP AND WERE BELOW BOTH MAXIMUM ITT AND TORQUE LIMITS. ALL OTHER PARAMETERS SEEMED NORMAL, ELECTED TO CONTINUE CLIMB TO 24,000 FT.

PILOT REPORT -- POST-MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. AFTER ROTATION AND IN THE CLIMBOUT, ASKED FOR THE FLAPS TO BE RAISED UP. IMMEDIATELY, THE A/C WANTED TO ROLL HARD TO THE RIGHT. THE OTHER PILOT STATED THAT THE FLAP INOP LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE GOOD FLAP INDICATION. WE ASKED THE MAINTENANCE TECH SEATED IN THE BACK TO LOOK OUT AT EACH WING TO TRY AND SEE THE FLAPS. HE SAID THAT THE RIGHT WING FLAPS SEEMED TO BE UP AND THAT THE LEFT WING FLAPS WERE STILL PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. HE ALSO SAID THAT WHEN THE FLAPS WERE SELECTED UP HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE COME FROM THE LEFT WING. WE ADVISED THE TOWER THAT WE NEEDED TO COME BACK IN. RIGHT SEAT PILOT WENT THROUGH THE RELATED CHECKLIST FOR THE FLAP MALFUNCTION AND FOR THE NO FLAP LANDING. RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ISSUE. FLIGHT TIME: 0:15 MINUTES.

AFTER TAKEOFF, LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. HANDLE COULD NOT BE SELECTED TO THE UP POSITION.

DEPARTED AND BEGAN CLIMB TO 11000 FT. ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO FLT, RECEIVED A BATTERY LIGHT ON CAWS PANEL AND A MASTER CAUTION. CONFIRMED THAT THE NR 1 GENERATOR WAS NOT PUTTING OUT 28 VOLTS & BATTERY DISCHARGING. TURNED OFF ELECTRICAL AIR CONDITIONING & STOPPED BATTERY & IT BEGAN TO CHARGE. AUTOPILOT DISCONNECTED AND YAW DISCONNECTED. RAN EMERGENCY CHECKLIST & ATTEMPTED A GEN 1 RESET BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. GEN 2 WORKED PROPERLY & OTHER THAN THE AIR CONDITIONING, DID NOT LOSE ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL ITEMS. DECIDED TO RETURN. DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. LANDED NORMALLY.

DURING GEAR EXTENSION, LANDING GEAR INDICATORS SHOWED BOTH MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, HOWEVER, THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CREW FOLLOWED THE CHECKLIST FOR ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION.

SUBJECT FUEL NOZZLE WAS INSTALLED IN A POST SB3250 ADAPTER, & AFTER 10.7 HOURS OF OPS, NOZZLE LOST TORQUE ALLOWING FUEL TO BYPASS NOZZLE ORIFICE ENTERING ENGINE AT SEALING SURFACE OF LOCK TAB. PILOT REPORTED A 50 DEGREE C JUMP IN TEMP ON LAST FLT, CHOSE TO CONTINUE OPS OF ENGINE. AFTER LANDING, ENGINE BOROSCOPED, & THERMAL DAMAGE FOUND ENTERING HOT SECTION OF ENGINE. ON INSP, FOUND SUBJECT NOZZLE STILL LOCKED IN PLACE BY LOCK TAB, WHICH WAS SCORED TO NORMAL DEPTH INDICATED THAT IT WAS TORQUED TO STANDARD 45" LBS. NOZZLE ACTUALLY LOOSE IN ADAPTER, & FOUND THREAD DIAMETER OF NOZZLE AT .006" SMALLER THAN EXAMPLE NOZZLES WITH 1/4-32 UNEF THREADS. THIS GAVE NOZZLE LESS THAN 50 PERCENT ENGAGEMENT OF THREADS IN ADAPTER. SUSPECT NOZZLE (MEASURED AT THE LAB AT .2415) WAS MISMANUFACTURED UNDERSIZE, THIS ALLOWED CREST OF THREADS TO SLIP IN APPLICABLE ADAPTER WHILE IN OPS WHERE IT COULD SEE PRESSURES UP TO 600 PSI.

AFTER TAKEOFF, GEAR WAS SELECTED UP. THE GEAR INDICATION SHOWED THAT THE RT MAIN GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. THE GEAR HANDLE WAS THEN SELECTED DOWN AND ALL (3) GEAR SHOWED DOWN AND LOCKED. ACFT WAS THEN LANDED NORMALLY.

WHILE DESCENDING FOR THE APPROACH, THE LEFT ENGINE LOST OIL PRESSURE AND A PRECAUTIONARY SHUT DOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED BY A DROP IN THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AND THE ILLUMINATION OF THE 'OIL LOW' ANNUNCIATOR. APPARENT CAUSE: LOSS OF OIL OUT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED SUCCESSFULLY AND WITHOUT INCIDENT.

AFTER ONLY 20 HOURS OF TIME, ALTERNATOR BEARING FOUND FAILED WITH BELT TENSION OK. ALTERNATOR ALSO HAS HIGH RESISTANCE. UNIT OVERHAULED BY PRECISION ELECTRONICS, INC.