Service difficulty report · Accumulator · Swrngn SA227AC

Difficulty date
July 3, 2008
Submitted
October 24, 2008
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N423MA
Make and model
Swrngn SA227AC
Aircraft serial
AC636
Part
Accumulator
Part number
223002
Part serial
632
Condition
Failed
Location
Hyd System
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

AFTER TAKEOFF, BOTH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE LIGHTS CAME ON RIGHT AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE, AND MADE A LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON EXAMINATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATOR END CAP ON THE HYDRAULIC SIDE HAD EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC METALLURGICAL FAILURE, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND THEREFORE PRESSURE. THIS ACCUMULATOR IS AN "ON CONDITION" PART, WITH NO OVERHAUL REQUIREMENTS. THIS COMPANY HAS EXPERIENCED TWO SIMILAR FAILURES IN 2005 AND 2003 ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, AND AN ADDITIONAL FAILURE OF THIS TYPE ON AC WHICH HAS AN ACCUMULATOR PN 22300-3. IT WOULD SEEM PRUDENT TO INSTITUTE SOME SORT OF NDI SCHEDULE FOR THESE PARTS AT A SPECIFIC INTERVAL, RATHER THAT LEAVE IT AS JUST "ON CONDITION". (K)