Service difficulty report · Plate · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
December 7, 2012
Submitted
September 14, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft time
6,026 hours
Engine
Lyc LO360A1H6
Propeller
Hartzl HCC2YR2
Part
Plate
Part number
78713003
Condition
Damaged
Location
Prop Control
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

(CAN) SL1156 PROVIDES A NEW PN PROP CONTROL DETENT PLATE TO REPLACE THE OLD PLATE. UPON INSTALLATION, ENGINEERS NOTED THAT WHILE THE MATERIAL MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED, NOTHING ELSE HAS. THE ATTACHED PICTURE SHOWS THAT NO MATTER WHERE THE PLATE IS ADJUSTED, 1 PROP CONTROL OR BOTH WILL NOT ENTER SMOOTHLY INTO THE DETENT SLOT. ONCE THE CONTROL ENTERS THE SLOT, IT REQUIRES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO MOVE THE CONTROL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DETENT. THE FINGERS OF THE DETENT PLATE ARE NOT FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF THE CONTROL WITHOUT UNDUE FORCE. THE UNDUE FORCE REQUIRED PUTS EXCESSIVE PRESSURE ON THE PLATE WHICH IS TRANSMITTED TO THE WEAK POINTS IDENTIFIED IN THE PICTURE AND CAUSING CRACKS IN THOSE AREAS WITHIN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

More about the Piper PA-44-180