Service difficulty report · Wire · Piper PA31T

Difficulty date
May 22, 2001
Submitted
July 5, 2001
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA31T
Aircraft time
8,474 hours
Engine
Pwa PT6A28
Propeller
Hartzl HCB3TN3
Part
Wire
Condition
Melted
Location
Cockpit
Part time
9,259 hours, 9,375 cycles
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
H

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

What was found

(CAN) DURING CRUISE, WITH ENGINE AND WINDSHIELD HEAT SELECTED. SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE RIGHT FORWARD CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. AT THIS POINT THE RIGHT ENGINE AND WINDSHIELD DEICE SYSTEMS WERE TURNED OFF AND THE SMOKE DISSAPPEARED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY AT ITS DESTINATION. MAINTENANCE THEN DISCOVERED THAT 2 WIRES, BEHIND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL WERE MELTED : ONE BEING RIGHT INLET DEICE ANDTHE OTHER RIGHT WINDSHIELD HEAT. CORROSION WAS FOUND AT THE SPLICES, WHICH CAUSED EXCESSIVE HEAT.

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