Service difficulty report · Wire · Bolkms BK117B2

Difficulty date
October 11, 2008
Submitted
November 18, 2008
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N911KD
Make and model
Bolkms BK117B2
Aircraft serial
7237
Part
Wire
Part serial
525
Condition
Shorted
Location
Search Light
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

PRIOR TO LIFTOFF WITH TRANSPORT TEAM THE PILOT DETECTED AN ACRID ODOR IN COCKPIT. THE PILOT THOUGHT THIS WAS ENVIRONMENTAL IN NATURE AND ODOR DISSIPATED WITHIN 10 SECONDS. THE PILOT COMPLETED THE FLIGHT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT NOTICED THE SEARCHLIGHT INOPERATIVE. UPON TROUBLESHOOTING, I REALIZED THE ODOR MAY HAVE COME FROM RECENT WORK ON COLLECTIVE HEAD/SEARCH LIGHT SWITCH. MX WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY BURNED WIRES ON THE SEARCHLIGHT WIRING BUNDLE AS THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR. THE WIRES ON THE SEARCHLIGHT SHORTED ON A CLAMP HOLDING PITOT TUBE ACCUMULATOR IN PLACE. WIRES WERE BURNED AND INSULATION MELTED. A SERVICEABLE SEARCHLIGHT FROM ANOTHER ACFT WAS USED AND THE ORIGINAL WIRE HARNESS WAS REPAIRED AND REUSED. N990SL HARNESS WAS DIFFERENT SIZE CONNECTOR. ACFT HAS BEEN TEST FLOWN AFTER REPAIR, NO SMOKE ODORS OR OTHER DEFECTS WERE NOTED.