Service difficulty report · Lamp · Stbros SD360

Difficulty date
November 10, 2003
Submitted
March 1, 2004
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Stbros SD360
Aircraft time
28,198 hours
Engine
Pwa PT6A65AR
Propeller
Hartzl HCB5MP3
Part
Lamp
Part number
8623
Condition
Shorted
Location
Cockpit
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

(CAN) TRANSFORMER IS DESIGNED TO STEP DOWN 115 VAC SUPPLY VOLTAGE TO A MAX OF 5 VAC REQUIRED BY REST OF CIRCUITRY. OUTPUT WIRES FROM ABOVE MENTIONED TRANSFORMER ARE INCREASED IN GAUGE SIZE TO 16 AWG, SO THAT IN EVENT OF A GROUND FAULT TRANSFORMER OUTPUT WIRING WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL CURRENT CAPACITY TO TRIP CB AND PROTECT OVER ALL CIRCUIT INTEGRITY. DUE TO A DESIGN OVERSIGHT, ONE OF TWO TRANSFORMER OUTPUT WIRES SELECTED WAS OF INSUFFICIENT SIZE, 24 AWG. THEREFORE, ANY GROUND FAULTED COMPONENT PRESENT ON ITS ASSOCIATED LIGHTING BUSS IE: LAMP MODULE, CAUSED THIS WIRE TO ACT LIKE AN ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT. THIS CAUSED A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD SITUATION, DUE TO EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW WITHIN CIRCUIT.