Service difficulty report · Tip Cap · Hughes 369D

Difficulty date
August 14, 2005
Submitted
June 22, 2006
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Hughes 369D
Aircraft time
12,207 hours
Engine
Allsn 250C20B
Part
Tip Cap
Condition
Damaged
Location
M/R Blade
Part time
8 hours
Component
Blade · Hughes
Component part number
500P2100103
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
E
Precautionary procedure
E

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

What was found

(CAN) A/C HAD A BLADE REPLACED DUE TO A CRACK. NEW BLADE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO BALANCE, SEEMED HEAVIER THAN THE OTHERS. BALANCING OF BLADES MET CRITERIA AND IT WAS RELEASED FOR SERVICE. SWEEPING OF BLADES WAS USELESS IN ACHIEVING BALANCE. SECOUND DAY OF THE JOB PILOT STARTED AC AND WAS ROLLING UP TO IDLE WHEN AC WENT INTO MODERATE M/R INBALANCE. ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN. CREW MEMBER NOTICED A WHITE MIST COMING OUT OF TIP CAP. ON SHUTDOWN, PILOT NOTICED THAT TRAILING TIP CAP WAS MISSING OFF END OF ONE BLADE, THAT THERE SEEM TO BE A SLIGHT DEFORMATION IN SKIN TOP AND BOTTOM APPROX. 8 IN. FROM TIP. BLADE WAS RETURNED TO THE MFG FOR EVALUATION. (TC NR20051123006)