Service difficulty report · Roll Servo · Cirrus SR22

Difficulty date
December 10, 2020
Submitted
January 10, 2021
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N224SY
Make and model
Cirrus SR22
Aircraft serial
0184
Aircraft time
2,136 hours
Engine
Cont IO550N
Propeller
Hartzl PHCJ3YF1
Part
Roll Servo
Part number
317A386
Part serial
0374
Condition
Twisted
Location
Lt Wing
Part time
2,136 hours
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B, F
Precautionary procedure
H, A

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

What was found

PILOT REPORTED TODAY (SATURDAY) TOOK IT OUT TO FLY SOME APPROACHES MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING OK. LET THE AUTOPILOT FLY ONE APPROACH, NO ISSUES. HAND FLEW THE NEXT APPROACH AND WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ROLL TRIM IT WENT FULL RIGHT, SMOKE CAME FROM CENTER CONSOLE, APPEARED TO BE FROM BACK OF THE BOTTOM 430 OR BEHIND AUTOPILOT CONTROL, AND AFTER CABIN FAIRLY FULL OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE, IT POPPED THE ROLL TRIM CIRCUIT BREAKER AND SMOKING STOPPED. LANDED OK BACK AT AIRPORT. REPAIR STATION NOTES: AIRCRAFT JUST CAME OUT OF REPAIR STATION FROM ANNUAL INSPECTION AND ONE OF THE PILOT SQUAWKS INCOMING FOR ANNUAL WAS "AUTOPILOT CHASES THE NEEDLE." REPAIR STATION DISCOVERED FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES REQUIRED TENSIONING AND THAT ROLL SERVO WAS SHOWING AN OVERVOLTAGE CONDITION BUT STILL FUNCTIONAL. PILOT WAS NOTIFIED AND DECLINED REPLACEMENT. UPON RETURN TO REPAIR STATION AFTER PILOT REPORTED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ARM ON THE ROLL SERVO WAS TWISTED AND BROKEN/SEPARATED FROM THE MOTOR ITSELF. THE 430 AUTOPILOT COMPUTER WAS ALSO SENT OUT FOR OVERHAUL. OVERHAUL STATION REPORTED BACK THAT A RESISTER INSIDE WAS FRIED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OVERHAULED AUTOPILOT COMPUTER WAS INSTALLED BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT AND A NEW ROLL SERVO WAS INSTALLED. ALL OPERATIONAL CHECKS GOOD.

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