Service difficulty report · Selector Valve · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
May 18, 2007
Submitted
June 1, 2007
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N644KS
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft serial
4496220
Engine
Lyc O360*
Part
Selector Valve
Part number
1908001
Part serial
0587
Condition
Defective
Location
Fuel System
Part time
7 hours
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

FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN AIRCRAFT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER INSTALLATION, FUEL SELECTOR FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. UPON THE ACCUMULATION OF 6.8 HRS, TIS, THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND TO STICK AT EACH DETENT, IE: CROSSFEED, OFF, AND NORMAL POSITION. THE STICKING WAS SO SEVERE, THAT EVEN THE FORCE OF (2) HANDS ON THE SELECTOR VALVE WOULD NOT MOVE THE VALVE OUT OF THE DETENT POSITION. CAUSE OF PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN, HOWEVER, THIS POSES A SAFETY OF FLIGHT ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VALVE AT TIMES WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF THE DETENT POSITION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE AC OPERATING WITH ONE ENGINE ONLY. FUEL SELECTOR CABLE WAS INSPECTED FOR DEFECTS, HOWEVER, INTERNALLY THE VALVE WAS FOUND

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