Service difficulty report · Control Cable · Hughes 500N

Difficulty date
July 10, 2003
Submitted
August 18, 2003
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Hughes 500N
Aircraft time
8,792 hours
Engine
Allsn 250C20R
Part
Control Cable
Part number
500N720155
Condition
Failed
Location
T/R Pedal
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

(CAN) AT PREFLT, PILOT REPORTED A 'BINDING' AT EXTREME RT PEDAL. MAINT DISCONNECTED SECTIONS OF SYS & COULDN`T REPEAT. DAYS LATER PILOT REPORTED SIMILAR BINDING PLUS A 'BANG' BEFORE MOVING SMOOTHLY AGAIN. DURING INVEST, ENGINEERING FOUND BINDING WHERE 2 CABLES JOIN TOGETHER AT TAILBOOM DISCONNECT. INNER CABLE HAS A MACHINED HEX SECTION THAT MATES WITH A HEX INSIDE CABLE SHEATH. AT EXTREME, PEDAL INNER HEX EXITS SHEATH HEX & IS PRELOADED, & TWISTED (10-20 INCH). WHEN PEDALS WERE MOVED TOWARD NEUTRAL INNER CABLE HEX ATTEMPTED TO ENTER SHEATH HEX, & BECAUSE OF A MISALIGNMENT, BOUND UP, & WHEN ENOUGH PRESSURE EXISTED, IT WOULD SNAP INTO ALIGNMENT (CAUSING BANG & BINDING). BOTH CABLES CHANGED, RETURN TO SERVICE.