What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 1/24/2013 at 21:40 EST the pilot of N66174, a CE-172-P experienced loss of
Electrical power and performed an emergency landing via light gun from the fxe ATC tower.
The owner of the aircraft, privacy data omitted, was interviewed by the investigating ASI on 2/6/2013.
privacy data omitted Explained that the inoperative alternator had been replaced and provided access that day for examining and photographing the failed alternator. One of the three through bolts had loosened and had backed out of the threads in one of the case halves of the alternator housing.
The malfunction defect report submitted to the FAA by aircraft owner, privacy data omitted, on 2/10/2013 indicates a total of 44.0 hours since overhaul was accumulated on the alternator since being installed on the aircraft. Investigating ASI took photos of failed alternator removed from aircraft and received copies of 8130S and airframe mx log entries.
The 8130 associated with the failed unit was from UT2R, kelly aerospace which is now 1HZR, hartzell engine technologies.
2/27/2013: Received phone call from tim gauntt of hartzell engine technologies (1HZR) on Monday, February 25th, 2013. 1HZR purchased the alternator products unit formerly certificated under 145 with a designator of UT2R.
Subsequent e-mails from Mr. Tim gauntt of hartzell revealed that a red sticker placard on the case of the alternator contains information regarding the following message:
'Caution: engine vibration may cause loss of thru bolt torque due to normal wear in the field case and/or stator. Electrosystems, inc. recommends the retorquing of all thru bolts after the first 10 hours of operation and again after each 100 interval.
1. Remove safety wire from all thru bolts.
2. Retorque all thru bolts to 75 - 85 inch pounds.
3. Secure all thru bolts by safety wire per AC43.13.'
One of the though bolts had in fact backed out of the case halves and was hanging by a 'cable' as it was called by the representative from hartzell technologies, Mr. Gauntt.
No maintenance instruction for retorquing alternator through bolts is contained in the Cessna mx manual for CE-172-P. No other maintenance publication could be obtained that directs a maintenance provider to take the actions expressed on the red sticker/placard.
An SDR regarding the absence of maintenance data directing maintenance providers to re-torque the through bolts iaw the sticker information is being filed.
As the FAA filed it
ON 1/24/2013 AT 21:40 EST THE PILOT OF N66174, A CE-172-P EXPERIENCED LOSS OF
ELECTRICAL POWER AND PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING VIA LIGHT GUN FROM THE FXE ATC TOWER.
THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE INVESTIGATING ASI ON 2/6/2013.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPLAINED THAT THE INOPERATIVE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN REPLACED AND PROVIDED ACCESS THAT DAY FOR EXAMINING AND PHOTOGRAPHING THE FAILED ALTERNATOR. ONE OF THE THREE THROUGH BOLTS HAD LOOSENED AND HAD BACKED OUT OF THE THREADS IN ONE OF THE CASE HALVES OF THE ALTERNATOR HOUSING.
THE MALFUNCTION DEFECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE FAA BY AIRCRAFT OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ON 2/10/2013 INDICATES A TOTAL OF 44.0 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL WAS ACCUMULATED ON THE ALTERNATOR SINCE BEING INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATING ASI TOOK PHOTOS OF FAILED ALTERNATOR REMOVED FROM AIRCRAFT AND RECEIVED COPIES OF 8130S AND AIRFRAME MX LOG ENTRIES.
THE 8130 ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILED UNIT WAS FROM UT2R, KELLY AEROSPACE WHICH IS NOW 1HZR, HARTZELL ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES.
2/27/2013: RECEIVED PHONE CALL FROM TIM GAUNTT OF HARTZELL ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES (1HZR) ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2013. 1HZR PURCHASED THE ALTERNATOR PRODUCTS UNIT FORMERLY CERTIFICATED UNDER 145 WITH A DESIGNATOR OF UT2R.
SUBSEQUENT E-MAILS FROM MR. TIM GAUNTT OF HARTZELL REVEALED THAT A RED STICKER PLACARD ON THE CASE OF THE ALTERNATOR CONTAINS INFORMATION REGARDING THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:
'CAUTION: ENGINE VIBRATION MAY CAUSE LOSS OF THRU BOLT TORQUE DUE TO NORMAL WEAR IN THE FIELD CASE AND/OR STATOR. ELECTROSYSTEMS, INC. RECOMMENDS THE RETORQUING OF ALL THRU BOLTS AFTER THE FIRST 10 HOURS OF OPERATION AND AGAIN AFTER EACH 100 INTERVAL.
1. REMOVE SAFETY WIRE FROM ALL THRU BOLTS.
2. RETORQUE ALL THRU BOLTS TO 75 - 85 INCH POUNDS.
3. SECURE ALL THRU BOLTS BY SAFETY WIRE PER AC43.13.'
ONE OF THE THOUGH BOLTS HAD IN FACT BACKED OUT OF THE CASE HALVES AND WAS HANGING BY A 'CABLE' AS IT WAS CALLED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM HARTZELL TECHNOLOGIES, MR. GAUNTT.
NO MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTION FOR RETORQUING ALTERNATOR THROUGH BOLTS IS CONTAINED IN THE CESSNA MX MANUAL FOR CE-172-P. NO OTHER MAINTENANCE PUBLICATION COULD BE OBTAINED THAT DIRECTS A MAINTENANCE PROVIDER TO TAKE THE ACTIONS EXPRESSED ON THE RED STICKER/PLACARD.
AN SDR REGARDING THE ABSENCE OF MAINTENANCE DATA DIRECTING MAINTENANCE PROVIDERS TO RE-TORQUE THE THROUGH BOLTS IAW THE STICKER INFORMATION IS BEING FILED.