Service difficulty report · Tube · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
February 22, 2020
Submitted
February 24, 2020
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N46LU
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft serial
4496415
Aircraft time
848 hours
Part
Tube
Condition
Cracked
Location
Hyd System
Part time
192 hours
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
K
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

A SUBSTANTIAL HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAK FROM AROUND THE COLLAR OF THE LOWER -4, 90 DEGREE PRESSURE LINE HYDRAULIC FITTING ON THE POWER PACK LINE. THE LINE IN QUESTION HAS HABITUALLY CRACKED AND LEAKED AT THE LOWER FITTING, IN OR VERY NEAR THE FLARE. WE HAVE TWO SEMINOLES OF VERY SIMILAR AGE AND HAVE ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM FOUR TIMES BEFORE BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT. THE FACTORY TUBE CRACKED ON EACH AIRCRAFT AND EACH OF OUR SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS HAVE CRACKED AT THE SAME SPOT. THE REASON FOR CONTINUED CRACKING IS UNKNOWN AS THE LOCATION OF THE TUBE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE SUBJECT TO GREAT VIBRATIONS. WE ARE CURRENTLY SPEAKING TO PIPER ABOUT THE SITUATION IN HOPES OF FINDING AN ADEQUATE FIX. WE WERE THINKING OF A FLEXIBLE, HIGH PRESSURE LINE, BUT ONLY IF PIPER IS ABLE TO APPROVE THE WORK.

More about the Piper PA-44-180