Service difficulty report · Turnbuckle · Amtr PITTSSPECIAL

Difficulty date
May 6, 2015
Submitted
May 7, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N8PB
Make and model
Amtr PITTSSPECIAL
Aircraft serial
2071
Aircraft time
5,600 hours, 30,000 cycles
Part
Turnbuckle
Part number
AN17016S
Condition
Failed
Location
Rudder Cable
Part time
5,600 hours, 30,000 cycles
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

RIGHT RUDDER CABLE TURNBUCKLE FAILED AT RUDDER HORN. SEPARATION OF THE CLEVIS TO THE THREAD OCCURRED BENEATH THE SAFETYWIRE. FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE GROUND DURING LINE UP AND WAIT, PRIOR TO ACFT TAKEOFF. FAILURE RESULTED IN LOSS OF RT RUDDER AND RT BRAKE CONTROL, WITH SPRING TENSION FOLDING THE RT FORWARD COCKPIT AND RT REAR COCKPIT RUDDER/BRAKE PEDALS FORWARD. LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS PREVENTED BY SHUTDOWN OF THE ENGINE AND GROUND HANDLING THE ACFT OFF THE RUNWAY. INSPECTION OF THE LT RUDDER CABLE TURNBUCKLE AND CABLE ASSEMBLY SHOWED THE FORCE ON THE TURNBUCKLE TO BE IN A SLIGHTLY DOWNWARDS DIRECTION CAUSING A BENDING MOMENT ON THE TURNBUCKLE. BOTH LT AND RT RUDDER CABLE ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED WITH NEW PN 2-3150-007 CABLE ASSEMBLIES OF FIXED LENGTH AND NO TURNBUCKLES.