MERCY FLIGHTS INC

Operated by MERCY FLIGHTS INC (per NTSB report)

IN FLIGHT FIRE REPORTED AT LOWER PILOT WINDSHIELD/ INSTRUMENT PANNEL AREA. REPORTING REQUIRED PURSUANT FAR 135.415 (A)(2) & (5). AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT CRESCENT CITY,CA (CEC). POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED LEFT HAND WINDSHIELD HEAT TERMINAL BONDING SEPERATION CASUING ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FAILURE. NO DAMAGE TO OTHER SYSTEMS OR COMPONENTS NOTED.

HAD AN ISSUE REQUIRING US TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY WITH OUR AIRCRAFT. THE FLIGHT WAS TO BE GOING TO HIO AND ON THE SEQUENCE OF PREPARING TO LAND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED DOWN AND ONLY HAD ILLUMINATION OF THE NOSE AND LT GEAR WITH “GREEN” DOWN INDICATION. THE PILOTS PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE WITHOUT ILLUMINATION OF THE RT .GREEN” DOWN INDICATION. THE PILOTS THEN DIVERTED TO PDX AND AS THEY APPROACHED WERE JOINED BY A POLICE AIRCRAFT THAT USED THERE INFRARED CAMERA TO LOOK AT THE GEAR. THE CHASE PLANE TOLD THEM THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. THEN MADE THE DOWNWIND APPROACH AND IN THIS TIME THE RT “GREEN” DOWN LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND CONTINUED WITH LANDING WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. WILL FOLLOW UP WITH EXACT DETAILS WHEN AVAILABLE. SUBMITTING WITHIN THE REQUIRED 96 HOUR TIMEFRAME.

DURING FLIGHT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATION DROPPED IMMEDIATELY AND BY 10 PSI. OIL PRESSURE WAS STILL IN ACCEPTABLE RANGE(GREEN)FOR CONTINUED OPERATION. SECOND LEG OF FLIGHT HAD REPEATED DROP IN PRESSURE IN FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT GROUNDED UPON RETURN TO HOME BASE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF ISSUE. UPON HAVING OUTSIDE SERVICE VENDOR COME AND DISASSEMBLE ENGINE OIL CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER PLATE (DELTA WASHER) P/N: 6898809 HAD DETERIORATED IN SIZE ALLOWING IT TO FALL INTO THE GEARBOX HOUSING OIL TUBE UPON REMOVAL OF THE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY. THE REMAINING PLATE (DELTA WASHER) ALSO EXHIBITED DETERIORATION TO THE POINT AS TO NOT ALLOW IT TO BE RETAINED BY THE SNAP RING OF THE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY. THE CAUSE OF THE OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATION WAS THE DETERIORATION OF THE PLATE (DELTA WASHER) P/N: 6898809. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT HAS NOT ISSUED ANY SB, SI OR REQUEST FOR AD. MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED A PART INFORMATION LETTER (M250 PIL 2017-005-G REV. 1). IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THROUGH OTHER SOURCES THAT MANUFACTURER HAD CHANGED THE PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SUSPECT PART. IT IS OF MY OPINION THAT IF THIS WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THAT FAILURE OR GREATER LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE BEYOND ACCEPTABLE LIMITS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AT A MINIMUM A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING OR POSSIBLY WORSE.

TROUBLESHOT BOTH NR 1 & 2 GPS SYSTEMS DUE TO BEING INOPERATIVE. FOUND NR 2 ANTENNA RESISTANCE CHECKED OK, ANY TIME NR 2 GPS SYSTEM TURNED ON IT CAUSED A BLOCKAGE OF ALL GPS SIGNALS TO ACFT. WITH NR 2 GPS SYS TURNED OFF NR 1 GPS SYS OPERATED GOOD WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED. INSTALLED NEW NR 2 ANTENNA AND BOTH SYS OPS TESTED OK WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED.