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20160409024529I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 510 · April 9, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
April 9, 2016 · 13:58 local
Airport
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
71AA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N885RS
Reported as
Cessna 510
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F-A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,699 total125 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N885RSRegistered now · Cessna 510S/N 510-0389 · Built 2011Airframe modelCessna 510Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PW615F-ATurbo-fan

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.

Aircraft was being flown on a part 91 training flight. Initial flight was to be conducted from sdl to flg for instrument proficiency. While approaching flg pilot asked for instrument approach to rwy 21. They received delay vector and slowed aircraft to below 185 KTS and dropped the flaps. At that point they received a "failed flaps" indicator on the annunciator panel. The pilot asked for a hold while they tried to work out the flap malfunction issue. The pilot and co-pilot attempted to cycle flaps and flap circuit breaker to clear the flap failure. When they determined they could not change flap settings the co-pilot went aft and verified both flaps were in take-off position and were not asymmetrical. Pilot determined he could fly in flap extended condition. He requested to deviate to williams Gateway airport where a maintenance facility could look at the flap issue. The pilot advised ATC he could not exceed 185 KTS during the flight and was cleared to iwa. Upon arrival to iwa the co-pilot called the tower and explained they were landing with flap issue. The aircraft was cleared to land on rwy 21. Fire trucks were deployed and the aircraft landed with a long rollout, but was able to taxi to maintenance without further problems.

Maintenance facility at iwa inspected the aircraft and verified the flaps were stuck in t.o. position. Troubleshooting was performed but no clear indication of the reason for the failure was found. Maintenance replaced several flap system components and tested flap operation. The flaps functioned satisfactorily. Aircraft was returned to service.

During the next flight (another training flight) which was conducted from iwa to flg the same situation happened with the flaps failing while being deployed for landing again. After verification of the flap position the pilot returned to iwa without landing at flg.

Maintenance troubleshot the flap system again and found the LH proximity switch failed when it was cold soaked which caused the flaps to get stuck in the to position. The proximity switch was replaced and re-tested. Flap system functioned as expected.

The aircraft was returned to service and has conducted several flights to other airports and has had no further occurrence of flap failure.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN ON A PART 91 TRAINING FLIGHT. INITIAL FLIGHT WAS TO BE CONDUCTED FROM SDL TO FLG FOR INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY. WHILE APPROACHING FLG PILOT ASKED FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO RWY 21. THEY RECEIVED DELAY VECTOR AND SLOWED AIRCRAFT TO BELOW 185 KTS AND DROPPED THE FLAPS. AT THAT POINT THEY RECEIVED A "FAILED FLAPS" INDICATOR ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. THE PILOT ASKED FOR A HOLD WHILE THEY TRIED TO WORK OUT THE FLAP MALFUNCTION ISSUE. THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CYCLE FLAPS AND FLAP CIRCUIT BREAKER TO CLEAR THE FLAP FAILURE. WHEN THEY DETERMINED THEY COULD NOT CHANGE FLAP SETTINGS THE CO-PILOT WENT AFT AND VERIFIED BOTH FLAPS WERE IN TAKE-OFF POSITION AND WERE NOT ASYMMETRICAL. PILOT DETERMINED HE COULD FLY IN FLAP EXTENDED CONDITION. HE REQUESTED TO DEVIATE TO WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIRPORT WHERE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY COULD LOOK AT THE FLAP ISSUE. THE PILOT ADVISED ATC HE COULD NOT EXCEED 185 KTS DURING THE FLIGHT AND WAS CLEARED TO IWA. UPON ARRIVAL TO IWA THE CO-PILOT CALLED THE TOWER AND EXPLAINED THEY WERE LANDING WITH FLAP ISSUE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RWY 21. FIRE TRUCKS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH A LONG ROLLOUT, BUT WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO MAINTENANCE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS.

MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT IWA INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND VERIFIED THE FLAPS WERE STUCK IN T.O. POSITION. TROUBLESHOOTING WAS PERFORMED BUT NO CLEAR INDICATION OF THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE WAS FOUND. MAINTENANCE REPLACED SEVERAL FLAP SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND TESTED FLAP OPERATION. THE FLAPS FUNCTIONED SATISFACTORILY. AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.

DURING THE NEXT FLIGHT (ANOTHER TRAINING FLIGHT) WHICH WAS CONDUCTED FROM IWA TO FLG THE SAME SITUATION HAPPENED WITH THE FLAPS FAILING WHILE BEING DEPLOYED FOR LANDING AGAIN. AFTER VERIFICATION OF THE FLAP POSITION THE PILOT RETURNED TO IWA WITHOUT LANDING AT FLG.

MAINTENANCE TROUBLESHOT THE FLAP SYSTEM AGAIN AND FOUND THE LH PROXIMITY SWITCH FAILED WHEN IT WAS COLD SOAKED WHICH CAUSED THE FLAPS TO GET STUCK IN THE TO POSITION. THE PROXIMITY SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND RE-TESTED. FLAP SYSTEM FUNCTIONED AS EXPECTED.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AND HAS CONDUCTED SEVERAL FLIGHTS TO OTHER AIRPORTS AND HAS HAD NO FURTHER OCCURRENCE OF FLAP FAILURE.