Service difficulty report · Line · Pilats PC1245

Difficulty date
April 5, 2004
Submitted
April 6, 2004
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N529PB
Make and model
Pilats PC1245
Aircraft serial
529
Aircraft time
188 hours
Engine
Pwa PT6*
Part
Line
Condition
Separated
Location
Pitot System
Part time
188 hours
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
C
Nature of condition
G, J
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

PILOT EXPERIENCED AN ALTITUDE PORPOISE WITH AUTOPILOT ENGAGED. AIRSPEED IND INDICATED THAT AIRSPEED WAS DECREASING, ALTHOUGH AIRSPEED REMAINED SAME. BOTH PITOT SYS WERE CHECKED, OK. RT STATIC SYS WAS CHECKED, FOUND TO BE OK. THE LT STATIC SYS WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE AT ALL. ISOLATED THE STATIC SYS LEAK TO FITTING AT AFT PRESSURE BULKHEAD (FRAME 36, STATION 380.7). STATIC LINE TUBING ON INSIDE OF PRESSURE BULKHEAD HAD PULLED OUT OF THE FITTING, IT HAD BEEN CUT TOO SHORT AT THE FACTORY. WHEN THIS LINE PULLED OUT, IT EXPOSED THE PILOT SIDE STATIC SYS TO CABIN PRESSURE. MAKE THE STATIC LINES SLIGHTLY LONGER DURING THE MFG PROCESS, THUS PREVENTING THEM PULLING OUT OF THE FITTINGS AS THE AC STRETCHES.