Service difficulty report · Accumulator · Diamon DA42

Difficulty date
January 13, 2016
Submitted
January 28, 2016
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N104TS
Make and model
Diamon DA42
Aircraft serial
42053
Engine
Austro E4
Propeller
Mtprop MTV6R
Part
Accumulator
Part number
P8931C
Part serial
11A089
Condition
Malfunctioned
Location
Feathering
Part time
3,257 hours
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

DURING TRAINING FLIGHT, THE PILOTS INTENTIONALLY SHUTDOWN THE LT ENGINE AND WENT TO RESTART WHEN PROPELLER WOULD NOT UNFEATHER IN FLIGHT. THE ACFT LANDED SAFE WITH 1 ENGINE. MAINTENANCE TROUBLESHOT THE PROP/UNFEATHER SYS. FOUND THAT THE UNFEATHERING ACCUMULATOR PRECHARGE WAS AT 30PSI, 4 DAYS AFTER LAST CHECK, SERVICE. REMOVED THE UNFEATHERING ACCUMULATOR AND INSPECTED FOR LEAKAGE OF PRECHARGE. DISASSEMBLED ACCUMULATOR FOR SIGNS OF CONTAMINATION FROM THE GEARBOX OIL SYS. FOUND THE O-RING HAD POSSIBLE DEFECT FROM SOME TYPE OF CONTAMINATION. THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE UNFEATHER ACCUMULATOR MALFUNCTION WAS POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION FROM THE ENGINE GEARBOX. ENGINE HAD OLD REVISION GEARBOXES THAT HAD NO FILTER WHICH CONTAMINATED THE GOVERNORS INTERNALS, CONTAMINATING THE UNFEATHER ACCUMULATORS. SUGGESTION: REPLACE THE NON-FILTERED GEARBOX WITH THE FILTERED GEARBOX. ALSO, SENDING THE ACCUMULATOR AND GOVERNOR OUT FOR REPAIR DUE TO CONTAMINATION. AND FLUSHING THE PROP . DOING THIS WILL ENSURE THAT ALL CONTAMINATES ARE OUT OF THE SYSTEM AND COLLECTED BY THE FILTER IN THE GEARBOX. IN THE LONG RUN, THIS WILL SAVE MONEY AND MOST IMPORTANT, SAFETY OF PILOTS. GEARBOX PN REVISION WITH FILTERS INSTALLED IS PN:E4A-70-000-000, REV 70 OR HIGHER.

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