Service difficulty report · Servo Drive · Amtr LANCAIR

Difficulty date
January 3, 2018
Submitted
February 23, 2018
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N401CH
Make and model
Amtr LANCAIR
Aircraft serial
17
Aircraft time
1,180 hours, 1,200 cycles
Part
Servo Drive
Part number
T27A
Condition
Broken
Location
Left Elevator
Part time
1,180 hours
Stage of operation
DE
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
E
Precautionary procedure
B, A

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

What was found

WHEN DESCENDING THROUGH 20,000 FEET, PLANE PITCHED UP ABRUPTLY AND STARTED BUFFETING. SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER. THE BUFFETING CONTINUED. MADE AN ENGINE-OFF EMERGENCY LANDING. DURING INSPECTION, THE ELEVATOR SERVO TRIM ARM HAD BROKEN AT THE CLEVIS PIN. THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB FLUTTERED VIOLENTLY, DAMAGING THE TRIM TAB, THE SERVO MOTOR AND ASSEMBLY AND THE WELDMENT CONNECTING THE ELEVATOR TO THE PUSH ROD.