Service difficulty report · Connector · Snias AS350B2

Difficulty date
November 2, 2010
Submitted
November 5, 2010
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N351LN
Make and model
Snias AS350B2
Aircraft serial
3696
Aircraft time
3,528 hours, 10,781 cycles
Engine
Tmeca ARRIEL1D1
Engine time
3,832 hours, 9,938 cycles
Part
Connector
Condition
Arced
Location
Display
Part time
3,828 hours, 10,781 cycles
Stage of operation
AA
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
H

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

What was found

THE PILOT OBSERVED A SPARK FROM AFT AND BELOW THE COLLECTIVE ON TAKEOFF FROM BASE. THE SPARK WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY AN ELECTRICAL ODOR. THE OUTERLINK SYS (ELECTRONIC FLIGHT TRACKING) CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AT THIS SAME TIME. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE BASE AND NOTIFIED MX. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE WIRING CONNECTOR TO THE OUTERLINK REAR DISPLAY UNIT WAS PULLED OUT OF THE DISPLAY UNIT AND THE PINS TO THE UNIT HAD CONTACTED THE METAL CONNECTOR THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE DISPLAY UNIT. THE MECHANIC R & R THE CONNECTOR AND PINS. THE SYS WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.