Service difficulty report · Torque Shaft · Snias AS350B3

Difficulty date
March 24, 2017
Submitted
August 3, 2017
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N186AE
Make and model
Snias AS350B3
Aircraft serial
3872
Engine
Tmeca ARRIEL2B1
Part
Torque Shaft
Part number
P603456
Condition
Sheared
Location
Starter Gen
Component
Starter Gen · Thales
Component part number
515030
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
9
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

THE STARTER GENERATOR WAS RECEIVED IN AN OVERHAULED CONDITION. IT WAS PLACED INTO SERVICE ON ACFT SN 3872 ON 7/27/2016 WITH 0.0 HRS SINCE THE STARTER GENERATOR HAD BE OVERHAULED. THE ACFT FLEW FOR THE NEXT EIGHT MONTHS AND ON 3/23/2017 THE FLT CREW HAD BEEN OUT FLYING THAT MORNING AND HAD RETURNED TO ITS BASE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING START, A LOUD GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD OFF OF THE STARTER GENERATOR, VOLTS DROPPED DOWN TO 23 AND THEY ABORTED START WITHIN 11 SECONDS. UPON REMOVAL OF THE STARTER GENERATOR BY MAINTENANCE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TORQUE SHAFT HAD SHEARED OFF AND WAS NO LONGER IN SERVICEABLE CONDITION. THE SPLINED AREA OF THE ENGINE WAS CLEANED AND INSPECTED WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED AND A NEW STARTER GENERATOR WAS INSTALLED TO THE ACFT ON THE SAME DAY. ON A SECONDARY NOTE, IT WAS DISCOVERED ON THE STARTER GENERATOR COMPONENT LOG CARD THAT ON 4/19/2016 THE STARTER HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM ACFT SN 4905 AFTER A SHAFT FAILURE AND HAD ONLY BEEN USED FOR 139.7 HRS SINCE ITS PREVIOUS OVERHAUL.