Service difficulty report · Valve · Hughes 369D

Difficulty date
November 26, 2014
Submitted
March 12, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Hughes 369D
Aircraft time
20,592 hours
Engine
Allsn 250C20B
Part
Valve
Part number
369H8108505
Condition
Failed
Location
Fuel Cell Vent
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) DUE TO THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT, PILOT FELT HE WAS GETTING AN ERRONEOUS FUEL QTY READING AND DECIDED TO LAND AND REFUEL. UPON REMOVING THE FUEL CAP, HE IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED THAT THE INTERNAL FUEL CELL HAD COLLAPSED AS IT WAS MOSTLY BLOCKING THE FUEL FILLER NECK. HE MANAGED TO FILL THE AIRCRAFT WITH FUEL, INCLUDING THE ONBOARD AUXILIARY FUEL TANK AND RETURNED TO BASE. UPON INVESTIGATION BY MAINTENANCE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ROLLOVER VALVE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING IN THE PROPER MANNER AND WAS BLOCKING THE VENT TUBE. THE FUEL CELL IN THIS ACFT IS DIVIDED INTO 2 SECTIONS SEPARATED BY A BAFFLE. THE FILLER NECK IS LOCATED IN THE RT CELL AND THE START PUMP AND FUEL QTY SENDER IS LOCATED IN THE LT CELL. IT IS PRESUMED WHEN THE RT CELL COLLAPSED, ALL THE FUEL TRANSFERRED TO THE LT CELL, GIVING A FALSE FUEL QTY INDICATION. THE START PUMP LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LT CELL PREVENTED THAT SIDE OF THE CELL FROM COLLAPSING. THE ROLLOVER VALVE ASSY WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE UNIT AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.