SDR SWISSFAA

Service difficulty report · Canopy · Pilats P305

Difficulty date
August 5, 2004
Submitted
August 23, 2004
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Pilats P305
Aircraft serial
VARIOUS
Aircraft time
3,000 hours
Propeller
Hartzl HCA3X*
Part
Canopy
Condition
Blocked
Location
Cockpit
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
C
Nature of condition
L
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, AT LEAST 11 N-REGISTERED P-3 HAVE BEEN MODIFIED UNDER 337 FIRLD APPROVALS WITH A ONE-PIECE COCKPIT CANOPY REPLACING THE MULTIPLE SHEET CANOPY INITIALLY INSTALLED. ON AN AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SWITZERLAND AN UNSAFE CONDITION WAS DISCOVERED. THE EMERGENCY CANOPY JETTISON COULD NOT BE OPERATED SINCE THE MECHANISM WAS BLOCKED BY TWO RIVNUTS INSTALLED TO RETAIN THE NEW CANOPY. WE HAD THE FAULTY INSTALLATION MODIFIED TO MAKE IT WORK. WE LET YOU KNOW OF THIS DEFECT SINCE THERE ARE SOME MORE P-3S OPERATED UNDER FAA REGISTRY THAT MIGHT HAVE THE SAME UNSAFE CONDITION.