Special Safety tip Notice from the FAA

This is a good reminder to make sure you Don't take your condtion inspection for granted, and have another set of eyes look at with you. Most often, as the builder, you are blind to the errors you built into your own aircraft. I just thought this was a good example of inspection program that didn't work, finally someone actually "looked" and caught this before it turned ugly.

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Special Safety Tip
Notice Number: NOTC3434

Here we have an excellent example of an accident that did not happen!
While an alert IA (or mechanic) discovered the discrepancy, it appears multiple mechanics and IAs missed "seeing" the incorrect installation. Initially, someone made the incorrect installation, and an Inspector missed it! This example can serve as a reminder that mechanics and Inspectors need to be diligent in performing their work.

As pilots and owners, we need to encourage mechanics not to shortcut any inspections! Our very lives may depend upon it!

You can review this December Maintenance Alert here: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2012/Jan/2011_12_Alert_BonanzaCableCutterbrief.pdf

You can see pictures here: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2012/Jan/V35A_Pictures.pdf

While the Editor's comment in the GA Alert seems to praise the IA who discovered this one, the photos clearly demonstrate a failure to have the cable installed properly in the first place. It is possible there were many repeated inspections on this V35A over a number of years without anyone noticing the slow sawing action through the primary control tube. (Investigation revealed this particular airplane did not fly very often.)

We need to ask ourselves what we are relying on as the basis for the GA Quality Assurance program, as it relates to qualifications, training, recurrency, following directions, and performing proper inspections. This is a systemic challenge for maintenance facilities and individual mechanics alike.

Holy ****!

Double holy ****!!!!

The warning is correct. I have as many people look at my plane as I can.

The guy that gave me my first flight in a GA plane had a rudder cable that had 2-3 strands left before it broke. He found this right after the IA inspected it and signed it off. Certified and inspected does not equal safe.

What???

Was the owner a gorilla or something and couldn't feel the controls interfering with each other?

That almost defies belief!

Frank

The Waddington effect at work.

Unfortunately, and not pointing fingers, but it was more than likely an A@P that installed said cable.

Remember my last year's pictures of my pressurized fuel line lying against the exhaust?.....installed by my buddy, an A@P and IA !!

Be very careful picking up your airplane after an annual/condition inspection.

The previous year, two spark plug leads were swapped and it back fired and coughed like crazy during the runup/mag check.

Google "Waddington effect"

Best,

Team RV has an annual inspection policy that is sure to save a few mechanical aborts and maybe more. Each pilot must have two other Team RV members inspect his firewall forward installation and document completion of the inspection prior to the first practice of the air show season. Team pilots are busy doing condition inspections and numerous mods and upgrades during this slack time of year, so firewall forward inspections are now going on. Even the most professional mechanics miss things, so it is not surprising that we do find problems. The Team RV airplanes fly nearly 200 hours yearly with all the shows and practices and they are flown HARD. It is comforting to know that critical aircraft systems have been inspected, not once but three times by independent inspectors.

(BTW, Another safety issue has been addressed: All Team aircraft will now have a smoke pump and fuel pump inertia shutoff switch installed. The switch cuts power to these pumps if it senses 10-12 G's. Sadly, our friend Amanda Franklin may have been saved if such a device was installed on Kyle's airplane.)

Very good move!

ronschreck said:

Team RV has an annual inspection policy that is sure to save a few mechanical aborts and maybe more. Each pilot must have two other Team RV members inspect his firewall forward installation and document completion of the inspection prior to the first practice of the air show season. .)

Click to expand...

The very best move!

Best,

When I was flying ultra lights (no annuals required ) we would trade planes for inspections and preflights. It was amazing what we found! Today, I have others look my plane over and I don't use the same A&P for annuals two years in a row on planes I don't have the repair cert for. There have been many little "finds" doing it this way.

Here's a point to ponder...

...I had a smart commander that used to like to ask "how many mishaps did we prevent today?" We figured that if no one was hurt and no metal was bent, then the answer was "all of 'em." But the fact was we'll never really know because we'll never have insight into all of the individual decisions that were made or the amount of "assist" that corrected potentially hazardous errors.

The picture in this thread is outstanding, and worthy of the holy ****! reactions, but the point to ponder is that decisions that we make as pilots have have the same effect and results, but there's no photographic evidence, no de-brief and maybe not even an "ah ha" moment to go with 'em...

Fly safe,

Vac

That's not the only problem in that photo. The last time I saw a photo with that quality was a picture of a flying saucer over a Texas farm house.

I would say this was set up. I would like to know what the rod and cable controlled. And did this happen during one flight. How could you NOT notice the conflict between two controls??

gasman said:

I would say this was set up. I would like to know what the rod and cable controlled. And did this happen during one flight. How could you NOT notice the conflict between two controls??

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Beechcraft: V35A; Cut Rudder Control Tube; ATA 2720
A general aviation submitter says, "During the performance of an Annual Inspection, an IA (inspection authorization) found the right ruddervator trim control cable was routed incorrectly and had cut through the right ruddervator control tube (approximately 75%). The tube also had signs of a crack originating from the damaged section of the tube (cut area), and had begun to bend as a result of weakening of the tube as it was being cut.
There were no maintenance entries noted in the log book to determine when this may have occurred."

gasman said:

That's not the only problem in that photo. The last time I saw a photo with that quality was a picture of a flying saucer over a Texas farm house.

I would say this was set up. I would like to know what the rod and cable controlled. And did this happen during one flight. How could you NOT notice the conflict between two controls??

Click to expand...

I disagree. You have to realize that the airplane in question is 44 years old, and depending on who was doing the maintenance, who knows when it was properly examined last. Many owners are interested in the cost, not the quality of the work.

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

I've learned that when I pick up our King Air after phase inspection, I have to go over the airplane with a fine tooth comb. After on inspection, I went to start the right engine and got no light off and then the mechanic is waving frantically to shut her down. Turns out "someone" forgot to connect the high pressure fuel line going to the fuel nozzles. Fuel everywhere to say the least. I've found tools in the battery box, inside the tail "**** hole", and inside the cowling. I've amassed a nice tool collection over the years.