Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 11:36:35 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from mail.inter-linc.net ([12.10.101.4] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.1.3) with ESMTP id 2584205 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 18 Sep 2003 09:34:52 -0400 Received: from s0026980490 (unverified [12.28.51.111]) by mail.inter-linc.net (Vircom SMTPRS 2.0.244) with ESMTP id ; Thu, 18 Sep 2003 08:32:50 -0500 From: "Ron and Marlene Brice" X-Original-To: "'Metcalfe, Lee, AIR'" , "'Robert Hinerman'" , "'Tom Batchelor'" , "'Ron Laughlin'" , "'Ridge Dickey'" , "'Rick Cathriner'" , "'Richard Page'" , "'Richard Alden'" , "'Rene Ray'" , "'Randy Hurst'" , "'Mark Hess'" , "'Larry Henney'" , "'Jim Hankins'" , "'Jerry Knapp'" , "'Jerry Fisher '" , "'Giffen A. Marr'" , "'Don Page'" , "'Cliff Hoover'" , "'Bob Satterwhite'" , "'Bob Giles'" , "'Bill Moffitt'" , "'Anthony Spagnoletti'" , "'Andres Katz'" , "'Joe Mason'" , "Lml" , "'Don Barnes'" Subject: in flight electrical lesson learned X-Original-Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 08:34:22 -0500 X-Original-Message-ID: <002401c37de9$99660d80$6f331c0c@s0026980490> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0025_01C37DBF.B0900580" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.4510 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: <4B9B1B1833408C40AE2F14A881F276F691FFF7@admsmxs2usr10.ad.jocoks.com> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0025_01C37DBF.B0900580 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 =20 While visiting Reno this week, I had a situation. The flaps would not = come all the way up, stuck at just about the take-off position after a gas = stop in LAS on the way to Reno. I contorted myself into the baggage = compartment only to find that I could not get to my flap microswitches without = pulling the flap actuator because of the small tunnel area, so elected to = continue on to Reno. I just pulled the flap circuit breaker and limited myself = to 160 indicated. =20 Not so bad for cross country actually...at 14,500 feet, we were cruising = at better than 210 knots true with less than 10 gallons per hour burn with = the flaps hanging out at the take-off position. =20 After Reno, I flew to Redmond the same way to get to tools and for some other minor maintenance. Now for the story: After fixing the flap = problem which was only a micro switch that had jumped the slot it was supposed = to stay in on the flap actuator, I flew back to Reno to pick up my wife and continue on. =20 =20 During the flight to Reno (I usually use my #2 VHF as primary) I = switched to #1 VHF to call flight watch for a pilot report. That's when things got interesting. As I keyed my #1 VHF mike switch while on autopilot, my = Legacy pitched up violently, and continued it's nose up angel climb after the = mike was unkeyed. With the autopilot now off, I discovered that the elevator trim was way nose up from where it should be. I left the autopilot off = and tried keying the #1 mike again, and sure enough, I was getting up = elevator while keying the mike, in direct proportion to how long the mike was = keyed.=20 =20 While continuing on to Reno and thinking about the fact that I had my = hands all over the tunnel area pulling the flap actuator and moving a wire = bundle to allow me to pull the flap actuator, than re-installing the wire = bundle after fixing the flap micro switch, I wondered if I had inadvertently = chafed a wire to the elevator trim, or something else equally as stupid. =20 While approaching Reno, I tuned the #1 radio to ATIS, and sure enough, = no #1 receiver. The fix was now somewhat certain in my mind. I supposed that = I would find the #1 antenna connector loose from the antenna. The # 1 = Antenna is mounted under the flap actuator on the bottom of the aircraft where I = was working. =20 Next morning, before leaving for LAX, I got into the tunnel again, and = found the #1 VHF antenna wire pulled from the Connector, guess it never was = seated fully in the connector. My "maintenance" of the flap actuator had = caused it to be inadvertently pulled out of the connector. When I keyed the mike, although the antenna wire was laying on the fuselage floor over 7 inches from the wire bundle, the RHF power from the transmitter told the = elevator up trim to actuate. =20 Quick fix, just had to push the antenna wire into the connector until it "clicked"..it won't come out again. =20 Good lesson for me, and a somewhat exciting one, I should have looked = over the area with a mirror around where I worked carefully before buttoning = up the tunnel. If I had done so, I could clearly have seen the antenna = wire loose in the compartment under the flap actuator mechanism. Lesson = learned. =20 Ron Brice N27RM =20 P.S. I left Santa Monica yesterday at 1140 and arrived at my hangar in Missouri exactly 5 hours and 50 minutes later including a gas stop at Tulsa's Riverside airport. All this at 15,500 while using less than 50 = PSI from my Mountain High Oxygen system, and total fuel burn was 68 gallons = (two take offs and climbs!). What an airplane!!!!!!!!!!! =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0025_01C37DBF.B0900580 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message

 

 

While visiting Reno this week, I = had a situation.  The flaps would not come all the way up, stuck at just = about the take-off position after a gas stop in LAS on the way to = Reno.  I = contorted myself into the baggage compartment only to find that I could not get to = my flap microswitches without pulling the flap actuator because of the = small tunnel area, so elected to continue on to Reno.  I just = pulled the flap circuit breaker and limited myself to 160 = indicated.

 

Not so bad for cross country = actually…..at 14,500 feet, we were cruising at better than 210 knots true with less = than 10 gallons per hour burn with the flaps hanging out at the take-off = position.

 

After Reno, I flew to = Redmond the same way to = get to tools and for some other minor maintenance.  Now for the = story:  After fixing the flap problem which was only a micro switch that had = jumped the slot it was supposed to stay in on the flap actuator, I flew back to = Reno to pick up my = wife and continue on. 

 

During the flight to = Reno (I usually use = my #2 VHF as primary) I switched to #1 VHF to call flight watch for a pilot = report.  That’s when things got interesting.  As I keyed my #1 VHF = mike switch while on autopilot, my Legacy pitched up violently, and continued = it’s nose up angel climb after the mike was unkeyed.  With the autopilot = now off, I discovered that the elevator trim was way nose up from where it = should be.  I left the autopilot off and tried keying the #1 mike again, = and sure enough, I was getting up elevator while keying the mike, in direct = proportion to how long the mike was keyed.

 

While continuing on to Reno and = thinking about the fact that I had my hands all over the tunnel area pulling the = flap actuator and moving a wire bundle to allow me to pull the flap actuator, = than re-installing the wire bundle after fixing the flap micro switch, I = wondered if I had inadvertently chafed a wire to the elevator trim, or something = else equally as stupid.

 

While approaching = Reno, I tuned the #1 = radio to ATIS, and sure enough, no #1 receiver.  The fix was now somewhat = certain in my mind.  I supposed that I would find the #1 antenna connector = loose from the antenna.  The # 1 Antenna is mounted under the flap = actuator on the bottom of the aircraft where I was working.

 

Next morning, before leaving for = LAX, I got into the tunnel again, and found the #1 VHF antenna wire pulled from = the Connector, guess it never was seated fully in the connector.  My = “maintenance” of the flap actuator had caused it to be inadvertently pulled out of the connector.  When I keyed the mike, although the antenna wire was = laying on the fuselage floor over 7 inches from the wire bundle, the RHF power = from the transmitter told the elevator up trim to actuate.

 

Quick fix, just had to push the = antenna wire into the connector until it “clicked”….it = won’t come out again.

 

Good lesson for me, and a somewhat exciting one, I should have looked over the area with a mirror around = where I worked carefully before buttoning up the tunnel.  If I had done so, = I could clearly have seen the antenna wire loose in the compartment under = the flap actuator mechanism. Lesson learned.

 

Ron Brice

N27RM

 

P.S. I left = Santa Monica yesterday at 1140 and arrived at my hangar in Missouri exactly 5 hours = and 50 minutes later including a gas stop at Tulsa’s Riverside airport. = All this at 15,500 while using less than 50 PSI from my Mountain High Oxygen = system, and total fuel burn was 68 gallons (two take offs and climbs!).   What = an airplane!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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