Service difficulty report · Connecting Rod · Cessna 208B

Difficulty date
December 22, 2023
Submitted
January 3, 2024
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N477XP
Make and model
Cessna 208B
Aircraft serial
208B0833
Aircraft time
21,516 hours, 41,683 cycles
Engine
Garrtt TPE33112JR
Engine time
43,335 hours, 6,435 cycles
Propeller
Hartzl HCB4TN5
Part
Connecting Rod
Part number
26600204
Part serial
NA
Condition
Broken
Location
Rt Te Flaps
Stage of operation
DE
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
F
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO THE REQUIRED INDICATED AIRSPEED FOR FLAPS, I LOWERED FLAPS TO 20 DEGREES. I CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN BELOW FULL FLAP SPEED RANGE AND AT 5500 FEET MSL APPROX I LOWERED THE FLAP LEVER TO 30 DEGREES (FULL FLAPS). THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE “CLUNK” OF SOMETHING BREAKING. THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE THE CONTROL ROD FOR THE RIGHT WING FLAP. WHEN IT BROKE THE RIGHT FLAP IMMEDIATELY REVERTED TO BE LEVEL WITH THE WING (0 DEGREES), WHILE THE LEFT FLAP CONTINUED LOWERING TO FULL POSITION (30 DEGREES). I IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROLLABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WE ROLLED AGGRESSIVELY TO THE RIGHT DUE TO THE ASYMMETRICAL FLAPS.

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