Service difficulty report · Arm · Dhav DHC8311

Difficulty date
June 29, 2013
Submitted
September 14, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Dhav DHC8311
Aircraft time
48,835 hours, 54,182 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW123
Propeller
Hamstd 14SF*
Part
Arm
Part number
85420015103
Condition
Fractured
Location
Mlg
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) FOLLOWING ARRIVAL, FLIGHT CREW NOTICED THAT THE LT MLG CENTER DOOR WAS MISSING. THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND A MAINTENANCE TEAM TRAVELED TO THE BS. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED, CENTER DOOR REMAINING PARTS, LINKAGE AND BRACKETS. REMOVED, AFT DOORS, 2 REMOVED, GEAR SAFETY PINS SECURED IN PLACE AND DECISION TAKEN TO FERRY THE ACFT TO A MAINTENANCE BASE. AFT DOORS WERE RE-INSTALLED, A NEW CENTER DOOR ASSLY WAS INSTALLED, ADJUSTED AND TESTED SERVICEABLE. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE CENTER DOOR REMAINING PARTS REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FWD HINGE ARM 85420015-103 IS FRACTURED APPROXIMATELY 4" FROM THE NACELLE ATTACHMENT POINT. A GOUGES ARE VISIBLE JUST BEFORE/AT THE ARM FRACTURE POINT, AND AFT HINGE ARM 85420016-101 IS BENT REARWARD, CENTER DOOR ATTACHMENT BOLTS AND PART OF THE DOOR WITH INSERT ARE STILL ATTACHED TO THE ARM. EVIDENCES SUGGEST THAT THE FORWARD HINGE ARM LIKELY FRACTURED FIRST CAUSING EXTREME AERODYNAMIC LOAD ON THE DOOR RESULTING IN DOOR SEPARATION FROM THE AFT HINGE POINTS.