Service difficulty report · Valve · Dhav DHC8314

Difficulty date
August 2, 2015
Submitted
April 22, 2016
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Dhav DHC8314
Aircraft time
29,318 hours
Engine
Pwa PW123
Propeller
Hamstd 14SF23
Part
Valve
Condition
Leaking
Location
Nitrogen Bottle
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) THE DITCHING DAM DEPLOYED IN FLIGHT WE FEEL THIS WAS CAUSED BY CABIN PRESSURE LEAKING INTO THE DITCHING DAM. WHEN WE FIRST INSPECTED THE BURST DISK IT APPEARED TO BE FRACTURED (NOTE THE NITROGEN BOTTLE WAS STILL FULL) WHEN WE HOOKED UP REGULATED AIR AND BACK FLOWED THE SYSTEM WE DISCOVERED THAT AIR WAS LEAKING FROM THE VENT HOLES IN THE VALVE ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO THE NITROGEN BOTTLE. ASSEMBLY P/N 410870-3 WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO CANADIAN AERO ACCESSORIES FOR REPAIR, THEY WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM WHAT WE DISCOVERED BUT UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A FAULT, DUE TO A LACK OF RESOURCES. THE ASSEMBLY WAS RETURNED TO US AS IS. WE EXCHANGED THE ASSEMBLY FOR ANOTHER WHICH WAS INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT. WE AGAIN BACK FLOWED THE SYSTEM WITH REGULATED AIR, BUT WE HAD A SERVICEABLE BURST DISC INSTALLED SO WE ARE NOT CERTAIN IF THE PROBLEM WAS A FRACTURE BURST DISC, OR A FAULTY VALVE ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO THE NITROGEN BOTTLE. THE GUYS CONFIRMED THAT IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR AIR TO LEAK FROM THE VENT HOLES ON THE DITCHING DAM BOTTLE VALVE, SO IT IS PROBABLY SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THE LEAKY VALVE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE IN-FLIGHT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DITCHING DAM.