Service difficulty report · Cable · Cessna 172N

Difficulty date
July 8, 2014
Submitted
July 8, 2014
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N738XA
Make and model
Cessna 172N
Aircraft serial
17270307
Aircraft time
5,277 hours
Part
Cable
Part number
051010594
Condition
Failed
Location
Te Flaps
Part time
5,277 hours
Stage of operation
DE
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

FLAP FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE PRACTICING POWER OFF STALLS. LT FLAP FAILED TO RETRACT DUE TO THE FLAP CABLE SWAGED BALL PULLED THROUGH THE FLAP DRIVE PULLEY GROOVE. THE LOAD BEARING WASHER WAS NOT POSITIONED BETWEEN THE SWAGGED BALL ON THE END OF THE CABLE AND THE OPEN END SEGMENT OF THE DRIVE PULLEY. THE LACK OF THE WASHER ON THE END OF THE CABLE GROOVE SEGMENT ALLOWED THE SWAGED BALL TO WORK BETWEEN THE STEEL HALVES OF THE DRIVE PULLEY AND EVENTUALLY DISPLACED THE GROOVE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE SWAGED BALL TO SLIP THROUGH. THE LT FLAP JAMMED IN THE DOWN POSITION, 40 DEGREES, AND WAS DAMAGED ON THE OTBD SECTION.

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