Service difficulty report · Filter · Beech 300BEECH

Difficulty date
April 10, 2012
Submitted
April 19, 2012
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N73
Make and model
Beech 300BEECH
Aircraft serial
FF8
Aircraft time
12,682 hours, 6,937 cycles
Part
Filter
Condition
Contaminated
Location
Air Conditioning
Stage of operation
CR
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

DURING PREFLIGHT, CREW NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A SANITIZER. APPROX 2 HOURS INTO THE FLT, THE SMELL BECAME IRRITATING, CAUSING THROAT AND CHEST IRRITATION, NAUSEA, HEADACHE AND SLIGHT DIZZINESS. DURING FLIGHT AT LOW ALTITUDES, CABIN DUMP SELECTION APPEARED TO LESSEN THE INTENSITY OF THE ODOR FOR THE SHORT PERIODS THAT IT WAS USED. AFTER LANDING. LINEMAN COMMENTED ABOUT THE STRONG ODOR COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT CABIN WHILE HE WAS STANDING AT THE AIRSTAIR. MX WAS CHANGING THE AC (R134) FLUID. DURING THE REFRIGERANT FLUSH, APPROXIMATELY 6 OZ OF FLUSHING SOLVENT, TERPENE HYDROCARBON, WAS SPILLED UNDER THE CABIN FLOOR ON THE MAIN AIR CONDITIONER AFT EVAPORATOR BLOWER. BOTH CABIN FILTERS WERE CONTAMINATED BY A YELLOW SUBSTANCE WITH A STRONG CHEMICAL ODOR.