Kenai Aviation Operations, LLC

Sanction: $500 · case closed 2022-01-13

Part: ALTERNATOR — BROKEN (LEFT) · airframe 2,070 hrs · 4,325 cycles

LEFT ALTERNATOR FAILED CAS MESSAGE. WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING SMOKE SMELL BEGAN IN CABIN. LT ALTERNATOR WAS FOUND WITH TWO BROKEN CASE TIE BOLTS BY MAINTENANCE. BUS BAR FUSE FOUND POPPED. ALTERNATOR AND FUSE REPLACED. LH VOLTAGE REGULATOR REPLACED. OPS CHECK GOOD, NO SMELL NOTED, AND NO CIRCUIT PROTECTION DEVICES TRIPPED.

Part: SWITCH — MELTED (PITOT HEAT) · airframe 1,993 hrs · 4,149 cycles

PITOT HEAT 1 INOP ON THE GROUND DURING PREFLIGHT. DEFERRED PITOT HEAT TO GET IT HOME. MX FOUND PITOT HEAT SWITCH WITH HEAT DAMAGE AROUND PINS 2, 5, AND 6. WITH CORRESPONDING HEAT DAMAGE ON SWITCH CONNECTOR AND WIRING TERMINALS. REPLACED SWITCH AND OPS CHECK GOOD. THIS FAILURE IS COMMON AND WE HAVE SEEN THE SWITCH BODY WITH A HOLE MELTED THROUGH THE SIDEWALL.

Part: MASTER CYLINDER — BYPASSING (ZONE 700) · airframe 3,609 hrs · 7,099 cycles

COMPLETE LOSS OF LEFT BRAKE. REMOVED AND REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER.

Part: BRAKE SYS — LOW (ZONE 700) · airframe 3,572 hrs · 7,017 cycles

NO BRAKE PRESSURE ON LEFT WHEEL BRAKE

Part: TERMINAL — MELTED (HEATER SWITCH) · airframe 1,217 hrs · 2,434 cycles

COMBUSTION HEATER SWITCH WIRE TERMINAL OVERHEATED AND MELTED INTO SWITCH BODY.

Part: SWITCH — FAILED (INSTRUMENT PANEL) · airframe 2,814 hrs · 5,248 cycles

PT 1 HEATER FAIL ANNUNCIATION. MAINTENANCE FOUND #1 PITOT HEAT SWITCH WITH HOLE MELTED IN SIDE OF SWITCH HOUSING AND SWITCH CONNECTOR WITH MELTED AREAS AROUND FEMALE SPADE CONNECTORS.

Part: ACTUATOR — CRACKED (RT MLG) · airframe 8,390 hrs · 17,948 cycles

RH MLG ACTUATOR CRACKED THE END CAP WHERE THE ACTUATOR SHAFT COMES OUT. BEECHCRAFT PART NUMBER OF ACTUATOR IS 101-388014-1.

Part: WINDSHIELD — FAILED (COCKPIT) · airframe 5,381 hrs · 5,956 cycles

IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT, WITH WINDSHIELD HEAT ON. THE CO PILOT WINDSHIELD INNER PLY CRACKED/SHATTERED. A NORMAL LANDING WAS MADE FOLLOWING THE ABNORMAL CHECKLIST FOR A FAILED WINDSHIELD. NO INJURIES AND NO OTHER DAMAGE OR PRESSURIZATION LOSS WAS EXPERIENCED.

Part: STARTER GEN — INOPERATIVE (LT ENGINE)

THE LT STARTER WOULD NOT ROTATE ENGINE. MX TROUBLESHOT AND FOUND STARTER/GENERATOR INOPERATIVE. REPLACED WITH O/H UNIT AND ENGINE STARTED ON NEXT ATTEMPT.

Part: STARTER GEN — INOPERATIVE (LEFT)

THE LEFT STARTER WOULD NOT ROTATE ENGINE, MX TROUBLESHOT AND FOUND STARTER/GENERATOR INOPERATIVE. REPLACED WITH O/H UNIT AND ENGINE STARTED ON NEXT ATTEMPT.

Part: GEAR — MISINSTALLED (MAGNETO)

PART WAS INSTALLED NEW FROM MFG. DISTRIBUTOR APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITH FINGER, NOT PROPERLY LOCATED. APPROX 15 DEGREES OUT OF ALIGNMENT. MINOR ENGINE ROUGHNESS OR SUBJECTIVE SIGN AND WAVE, WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. DEFAULT DISCOVERED AT CURRENT INSPECTION.

Part: FUEL CONTROL — FAULTED (LT ENGINE)

ENROUTE, AT 20,000 FT ALTITUDE THE LT ENGINE POWER REDUCED TO 200 FT LBS AND FUEL FLOW TO 100 LBS PER HOUR AND N1 TO 70 PERCENT AND ITT 600 C. POWER LEVER HAD NO EFFECT AND PROP LEVER WAS RESPONDING NORMALLY. AT 12,000 FT IAW THE ACFT CHECK LIST THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND SECURED AND A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS MADE AT NEAREST AIRPORT. GROUND RUN UP CHECKS INDICATE THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT MAY BE AT FAULT AND AN O/H UNIT IS ON ORDER. MORE DETAILS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS SOON AS PRACTICLE AFTER REPAIRS ARE MADE.

Part: FUEL CONTROL — FAILED (LT ENGINE)

ENROUTE, AT 20,000 FT ALTITUDE, THE LT ENG PWR REDUCED TO 200 FT LBS AND FUEL FLOW TO 100 LBS PER HOUR AND N1 TO 70 PERCENT AND ITT 600C. POWER LEVER HAD NO EFFECT AND PROP LEVER WAS RESPONDING NORMALLY. AT 12,000 FT IAW THE ACFT CHECK LIST, THE ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN AND SECURED AND A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS MADE AT NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT. GROUND RUN UP CHECKS INDICATED THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT MAY BE AT FAULT AND AN O/H UNIT IS ON ORDER. MORE DETAILS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS SOON AS PRACTICLE, AFTER REPAIRS ARE MADE. FOLLOW UP: 12/28/2009 IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT THAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. AN O/H UNIT WAS INSTALLED AND RIGGED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUN UP AND ALL INDICATORS NORMAL. MX FLIGHT PROVED NORMAL AND ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. (K)

Part: CYLINDER — CRACKED (ENGINE)

CRACKED CYLINDER LEAD BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH FIN IB AT UPPER SPARK PLUG. CRACK NOT VISIBLE INSIDE CYLINDER. (K)

Part: CYLINDER — CRACKED (ENGINE)

CRACKED CYLINDER BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD FIN IB OF UPPER SPARK PLUG ORIENTED DOWN SIDE OF CYL HEAD. LARGE NEAR SEPARATION. (K)

Part: CYLINDER — CRACKED (ENGINE)

CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED AT UPPER SPARK PLUG HOLE THRU BEND TO EXHAUST SEAT. (K)

Part: FILTER — COLLAPSED (RECEIVER- DRYER)

THIS AND MANY OTHER AC HAS AIR CONDITIONER SHUT DOWNS BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE RECEIVERS-DRYERS. WE HAVE CUT OPEN THE EFFECTED DRYERS AND FOUND THAT THE FILTER SCREEN COLLAPSE AND DERIVED THE SYSTEM DOWN TO THE POINT THAT THE LOW PRESSURE SWITCH ACTIVATES AND SHUTS DOWN THE SYSTEM. THIS PRESSURIZED AIRCRAFT GETS VERY HOT IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. THIS COULD POISE A SAFETY ISSUE. MANY AIRCRAFT HAVE HAD SEVERAL RECEIVER-DRYERS REPLACED. IT SEEMS THAT A TECHNICIAN HAS TO BE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL A GOOD PART IS INSTALLED. (K)

Part: VANE — CRACKED (HINGE)

DURING PHASE INSPECTION, FOUND THE LT ICE VANE CRACKED THRU IN THE CENTER OF THE HINGE. UPON MORE INVESTIGATION, FOUND THE HINGE PIN HAD WORKED ITS WAY OUT OF THE HINGE. EVENTUALLY IT WORE A HOLE THRU THE DUCT SIDE WALL AND PROCEEDED TO COME OUT OF THE HINGE EVEN FURTHER. FINALLY WITH ONLY HALF THE HINGE SUPPORTED BY THE PIN, IT CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE HINGE AT BOTH ENDS. POSSIBLY A BETTER WAY OF RETAINING THE PIN COULD BE DEVISED. (IE: A LOOP IN THE HINGE PIN SECURED TO THE HINGE WITH A FASTENER)

Part: TUBE — BROKEN (BLADE ROOT)

DE-ICER DISCHARGE TUBES BROKEN OR CRACKED AT BEND IN TUBE.

Part: FUEL LINE — FAILED (ENGINE)

FUEL LINE FAILED, LEAKS. METAL BRAIDED FUEL LINE TO THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE. LINE REPLACED WITH SERVICABLE FUEL LINE.