20140422004929I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Vulcanair P68 TC OBSERVER · Santa Fe, NM · April 22, 2014

Date: April 22, 2014 · 13:33 local
Place: Santa Fe, NM
Airport: Santa Fe Municipal
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: NG0M
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N91GF
Reported as: Vulcanair P68 TC Observer
Reported engine: Lycoming TO-360-C1A6D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N91GFRegistered now · Vulcanair P68 TC OBSERVERS/N 454-10/OTC · Built 2009 Airframe modelVulcanair P68 TC OBSERVER Engine modelLycoming TO-360-C1A6DReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Test flight was being conducted after maintenance (windshield replacement). Pilot had concern with elevator system feel and aborted 1st takeoff attempt heating up braking system. Elevator system was checked and takeoff attempted again. Takeoff was aborted a second time when problem was felt again. On second abort brakes heated to the point of caliper o-ring failure allowing brake fluid to leak onto hot brakes causing excessive smoke but no confirmed fire.

Elevator system was examined in detail and a wire bundle below the windshield was confirmed as causing cable interference. Wire bundle rerouted, brakes repaired and subsequent test flight verified normal system operation.

As the FAA filed it

TEST FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AFTER MAINTENANCE (WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT). PILOT HAD CONCERN WITH ELEVATOR SYSTEM FEEL AND ABORTED 1ST TAKEOFF ATTEMPT HEATING UP BRAKING SYSTEM. ELEVATOR SYSTEM WAS CHECKED AND TAKEOFF ATTEMPTED AGAIN. TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED A SECOND TIME WHEN PROBLEM WAS FELT AGAIN. ON SECOND ABORT BRAKES HEATED TO THE POINT OF CALIPER O-RING FAILURE ALLOWING BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK ONTO HOT BRAKES CAUSING EXCESSIVE SMOKE BUT NO CONFIRMED FIRE.

ELEVATOR SYSTEM WAS EXAMINED IN DETAIL AND A WIRE BUNDLE BELOW THE WINDSHIELD WAS CONFIRMED AS CAUSING CABLE INTERFERENCE. WIRE BUNDLE REROUTED, BRAKES REPAIRED AND SUBSEQUENT TEST FLIGHT VERIFIED NORMAL SYSTEM OPERATION.