Service difficulty report · Circuit Breaker · Dhav DHC3

Difficulty date
September 20, 2014
Submitted
October 13, 2014
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N87KA
Make and model
Dhav DHC3
Aircraft serial
11
Aircraft time
18,023 hours
Engine
Pwa PT6A34
Engine time
6,348 hours, 13,258 cycles
Propeller
Hartzl HCB3TN3
Part
Circuit Breaker
Part number
AN316050L
Condition
Overheated
Location
Battery Charger
Part time
18,023 hours, 9,000 cycles
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
H

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

What was found

A WEAK BATTERY CAUSED A CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE CHARGING SYSTEM TO TRIP. AFTER REDUCING ELECTRICAL LOAD, THE PILOT RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY TRIPPED A SECOND TIME. THE CASE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER GOT HOT ENOUGH DURING THE EVENT TO RELEASE AN ODOR AND SOME LIGHT SMOKE. THERE WAS NO FLAME, AND ONLY MINOR DEFORMATION OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CASE.