Service difficulty report · Servo Drive · Cessna 550

Difficulty date
July 15, 2011
Submitted
July 15, 2011
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N43SA
Make and model
Cessna 550
Aircraft serial
0086
Aircraft time
11,840 hours, 8,805 cycles
Engine
Pwa JT15D4
Part
Servo Drive
Part number
4006719906
Part serial
79033161
Condition
Sticking
Location
Auto Pilot
Part time
11,840 hours, 8,805 cycles
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
F
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

DURING LEVEL FLIGHT AT 17,500 FT, WITH THE AUTOPILOT ENGAGED THE ACFT STARTED AN UNCOMMANDED RT BANK TURN WHICH CONTINUED UNTIL THE PILOT OVERRODE THE AUTOPILOT BY FORCE. THE AUTOPILOT DISCONNECT HAD LIMITED EFFECT AND THE ACFT CONTINUED TO REQUIRE LT AILERON INPUT TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. UPON LANDING (THE PILOT STATED UPON FURTHER DEBRIEF THAT THE CONTROLS FREED-UP UPON LANDING, NOT IN HIS INITIAL WRITE-UP), MX INSPECTED THE AILERON CONTROL SYS TO INCLUDE BINDING AND TENSIONS WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. REPLACED THE AUTOPILOT AILERON SERVO MOTOR AND CAPSTAN WITH REPAIRED UNITS. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE REMOVED SERVO MOTOR AND CAPSTAN APPEARED TO BE ORIGINAL (NOTE: THESE ITEMS ARE "ON-CONDITION", NOT LIFE LIMITED PARTS)BASED ON THE DATE STAMP OF 1979 AND MOD LEVEL OF NONE. THE NEXT FLIGHT WAS FOUND TO BE SATISFACTORY. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE SERVO DRIVE, PN 4006719-906 WAS THE FAULTY PART BASED ON THE CLUTCH AND FEEDBACK ARE PART OF IT'S FUNCTION. THE CAPSTAN PN 4005842 WAS REPLACED DUE TO WORN BEARINGS.

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