Service difficulty report · Unknown · Beech C90A

Difficulty date
November 16, 2014
Submitted
November 20, 2014
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N1079D
Make and model
Beech C90A
Aircraft serial
LJ1462
Aircraft time
4,489 hours, 4,382 cycles
Engine
Pwa PT6A21
Part
Unknown
Condition
Malfunctioned
Location
Cabin Temp
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

CRUISING AT 16000 FEET, THE CABIN TEMP KNOB BECAME LOOSE & WAS UNUSABLE. PULLED THE KNOB OFF SO WOULDN'T LOSE IT. MOVED THE CABIN TEMP MODE SELECTOR SWITCH TO MAN HEAT & INCREASED THE TEMP BY HOLDING UP ON THE MANUAL TEMP SWITCH. CONTINUED TO ADJUST THE CABIN TEMP USING THIS SWITCH UNTIL THE TEMP WAS COMFORTABLE. AFTER A BIT OF TIME MOVE THE CABIN TEMP MODE SELECTOR SWITCH BACK TO THE AUTO POSITION. THE CABIN TEMP SWITCH WAS NO LONGER MOUNTED, USED MY FINGERS TO TURN THE SILVER CONTROL STEM TO WHERE I THOUGHT THE TEMP WOULD BE COMFORTABLE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE TEMP ROSE VERY QUICKLY IN THE CABIN SO TURNED THE SILVER CONTROL STEM TO THE COOLEST SETTING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF THIS, THE TEMP STILL REMAINED HIGH IN THE CABIN & A FLIGHT CREW MEMBER ALERTED ME THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE BACK OF THE CABIN. DID NOT NOTICE THE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT BECAUSE OF THE LOW LIGHT SETTING. TURNED AROUND & SAW THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN & ASKED THE FLIGHT CREW TO GET THEIR OXYGEN MASKS READY JUST IN CASE THEY WERE NEEDED. TURNED THE CABIN TEMP MODE SWITCH OFF & POSITIONED THE VENT BLOWER SWITCH TO HIGH. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE SMOKE DISSIPATED. THE ENTIRE TIME, THE ELECTRIC HEAT SWITCH WAS IN THE NORM POSITION. TOWARDS THE END OF THE FLIGHT, MOVED THE CABIN TEMP MODE SWITCH TO MAN HEAT & ADJUSTED THE CABIN TEMP USING THE MANUAL TEMP SWITCH. THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE IS NOT YET KNOWN. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE, TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM.

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