Service difficulty report · Brushes · Piper PA28RT201

Difficulty date
June 10, 2011
Submitted
June 10, 2011
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N697LB
Make and model
Piper PA28RT201
Aircraft serial
28R7918112
Aircraft time
5,814 hours
Part
Brushes
Part number
ESQ12SBRUSHERH22
Part serial
NA
Condition
Broken
Location
Mlg Powerpack
Part time
143 hours, 70 cycles
Component
Powerpack · Prestolite · HYC5005
Component part number
HYC5005
Stage of operation
LD
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
G
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

AIRCRAFT MADE A SUCCESSFUL GEAR UP LANDING AFTER ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM EMERGENCY MLG EXTENSIONS SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS DUE TO A HYDRAULIC GEAR POWERPACK MOTOR FAILURE DURING THE INITIAL RETRACTION AFTER TAKEOFF. INVESTIGATION AND TROUBLESHOOTING DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE POWERPACK FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FRACTURE OF A QUESTIONABLE SOLDER JOINT THAT ATTACHED ONE ELECTRIC MOTOR BRUSH PIGTAILS TO THE BRUSHHOLDER. BROKEN SOLDER JOINT CREATED ENOUGH HEAT FROM HIGH RESISTANCE TO DISCOLOR THE BRUSHHOLDER AND ANNEAL THE BRUSH SPRING SO THAT THE RE-HEAT TREATED SPRING'S FREE LENGTH WAS MEASURED AT .330 INSTEAD OF THE .960. THE POWERPACK HAD BEEN OVERHAULED 29 MONTHS AND 142.5 HOURS EARLIER. FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING REVEALED THAT THE STATIC PORT IN THE LEFT AUTOMATIC MLG EXTENSION AIRSPEED MAST WAS SOLIDLY PLUGGED WITH A MUD INSECTS NEST.

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