Service difficulty report · Solenoid · Bell 407

Difficulty date
June 9, 2015
Submitted
June 11, 2015
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N193AM
Make and model
Bell 407
Aircraft serial
54004
Aircraft time
1,804 hours, 5,724 cycles
Engine
Allsn 250C47B
Engine time
5,446 hours, 5,312 cycles
Part
Solenoid
Part number
427375019101
Part serial
1251
Condition
Malfunctioned
Location
Cockpit
Part time
1,804 hours
Stage of operation
AP
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

PILOT LEFT THE PAD TO PICK UP MEDICAL CREW. ON HIS WAY OVER, THE PEDAL STOP WARNING INDICATOR ON THE CAUTION WARNING PANEL ILLUMINATED, SO PILOT SLOWED HIS AIRSPEED BELOW 55 KNOTS & IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO BASE. LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE BASE. RETURNING TO THE BASE WAS THE SAFEST & MOST PRACTICAL RESPONSE. PILOT THEN TRANSITIONED TO THE SPARE ACFT & WAS ABLE TO STILL PERFORM THAT REVENUE FLIGHT. DISCOVERED THAT THE SOLENOID THAT ENGAGES THE LIMITING PIN IN THE PEDAL STOP SYS WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE REP, WE LEARNED THAT THE LIKELY CULPRIT WAS MOISTURE BUILD UP IN THE SOLENOID CAUSING IT TO MALFUNCTION. CHANGED THE SOLENOID. THE SYS IS ONCE AGAIN FUNCTIONING AS DESIRED.

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