Service difficulty report · Flt Controls · Bell 429

Difficulty date
October 7, 2014
Submitted
March 12, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Bell 429
Part
Flt Controls
Condition
Malfunctioned
Location
Tail Rotor
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) IN PREPARATION FOR CONTINUED PRODUCTION FLIGHT TESTING, ALL WAS NORMAL. DURING FLIGHT TESTING IN THE MORNING OF THE 6TH AND DURING INITIAL FLIGHT ON THE 3RD, AND DURING THE START OF ENGINE NR 2 (THE FIRST ENGINE BEING STARTED), AN UNCOMMANDED LT PEDAL FORWARD OR RT PEDAL AFT MOVEMENT WAS NOTICED. SIGNIFICANT FOOT PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED TO STOP THE MOVEMENT. THE FOOT PRESSURE WAS SUCH THAT I FELT THAT THE LT PEDAL WOULD MOVE ALL THE WAY FORWARD IF I REMOVED FOOT PRESSURE FROM THE RT PEDAL. FORCE TRIM WAS ON, BOTH AUTOPILOTS WERE OFF, HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WAS NORMAL ON BOTH SYSTEM NR 1 AND SYSTEM NR 2. THE CONDITION PERSISTED WHEN HYD SYS NR 1 WAS TURNED OFF AND WHEN SYSTEM NR 2 WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONDITION ALSO PERSISTED WHEN THE FORCE TRIM SWITCH WAS PRESSED ON THE CYCLIC GRIP. THE CONDITION CEASED WHEN ENGINE NR 2 WAS SHUTDOWN AND THE ROTOR SPEED DECREASED SOMEWHERE BELOW 20 PERCENT. ACFT RETURNED TO HANGAR FOR TROUBLESHOOTING.

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