Flap Cable ACS

[kevin]

The ACS issued by the FAA about the flap cable failure that occurred last year has been posted on the Tech Data page............see attachments below
The ACS is a first step toward a potential AD. In it, the FAA asks questions of the public about an "airworthiness concern". The FAA uses the ACS to collect information and comments which may or may not lead to further action, such as an AD.

You are encouraged to comment on this ACS using this message thread. The FAA engineer who issued the ACS, and Tom Carr of CPA, will receive and are interested in your comments.

Thanks,

Kevin

[SkyKing]

Hey Kevin,

What's the deal here? Your ACS sheet has no contact person other that Tom Carr down at CPA... this has no official standing, other than CPA fielding responses from folks who don't know any better.

I would suggest YOU and every other Skymaster owner read the posting that GMAS has placed on the UNO site for the real low-down on this. This is obviously another CPA endeavor/scam to collect information, and ONLY a CPA endeavor, with no official sanction, to make it appear as if CPA has the "pulse" of the 337. NOT!

I echo GMAs' response to this, in that no 337 operator should respond.

SkyKing

[bawb]

I don't subscribe to the CPA conspiracy theory. Anybody who drives a C-150 like Tom Carr can't be that bad. Unless he has become the unwitting puppet of CPA's demonic leader, John Frank, who schemes through the aviation world in the evil dark star Centurion.

It happens to be convenient for me right now. I'm going to pull it out, inspect it, lubricate it, and report back to CPA.

So, I run lean of peak and communicate with the devil.

Bawb

[Ed Coffman]

You can go here

http://www.cessna.org/flapcablesacs.pdf

and see the faa document. Looks to me like the respond to address is faa.
________
Starcraft ii replays

[kevin]

I got the document directly from Bob Busto at the FAA in Wichita. The first time it was posted on the CPA site, the contact information was removed. I did the same thing, so as not to flood the FAA guy with phone calls and such. As you can see from the bottom of the sheet, the idea behind these sheets is to gather information from aviation organizations and type clubs.

Anyway, you can follow the link in Ed's message to see the document with the contact information if you wish, and contact Bob directly if you would rather not use the web site.

The maintenance alert came directly from Bob Busto as well.

No CPA conspiracy, and genuine documents.

Bob plans to stop by our web site now and then to read the feedback, as will Tom Carr.

Kevin

[Jim Rainer]

I know Tom Carr personally and can attest to his extensive knowledge and love of the 337. His only interest is our safety. Things must be slow on Peter's site.

[FRED-E]

The other day I was over at Don Nieser's hanger (one of them) and recieved some information from him that I would like to pass on to you.

First: Broken Flap Cable
I will attach a picture I took of the cable and bell crank on my aircraft (337B). It is the inboard bell crank just outside the boom. Using a mirror and light I feel you can inspect the cable very well.

Second: Long Inspection Plate Screws
Don also showed me a possiable trouble area with long screws in the inspection plate for the push-pull flap rod. When you inspect it the flaps are extened and the rod is a long way away from the screws, but when the flaps are up the rod comes very close to the screws. I believe a 3/8" blunt end screw will be long enough to hold the plate. I will attach pictures taken of my airplane (I had the problem).

[FRED-E]

Here is the first picture of the Rod, look at the shinny part where the screw was draging, it cut grooves in the rod, I will be watching it very closely.

[FRED-E]

This is the other rod. Make sure you take a look at yours and thanks Don Nieser.
Fred N358

As flap cables seem to be a hot topic I can affer the following (my CPA post)
Just had a 337 arrive at the door with a broken left hand flap operating cable. The cable snapped just at the bellcrank and resulted in one flap up and one fully down on final, nearly causing a serious accident.
At the flap bellcrank in a 337 the cable takes a very sharp bend. We pulled the opposing operating cable even though it looked ok in situ, this cable when bent revealed that the heart strands were broken and also heading for a failure.
Cables look as if they have been there for a long time, dont have the logs at the moment so cant confirm that.
Suggest that operators of higher time 337's look at this area by undoing the operating cable at the bellcrank.
Would be interested if anyone else has experienced this in a 337, cable was gal and does not show signs of corrosion. As a precaution we have replaced all of the flap cables, removed and greased the bellcrank bushes, rod ends and flap rollers.
The picture on 337 site of Freds flap cable show that it is worn and could be heading for a failure. I strongly suggest that 337 owners of higher time (5k+) undo the cable at this location and inspect it. Because of the bend in the cable the wear is in the heart strand and inside of the cable and not visible in situ. Freds pic shows that the cable is not wound as tight in one location indicating that the heart strand could have serious wear and possible break. For those not up on cables these are 7x19 superflex 1/8 cable, this means the cable is made up of 7 bundles of 19 strands. At a sharp bend like this the middle or heart strand cops most of the wear and will eventually break, this accelerates the wear on the bellcrank side as now only 6 of the 7 bundles takes the load.

I can send photos that I sent to the CPA to show the cables if you are interested.

Fred if you are out there please e mail me to discuss your cable as I believe it is defective.

Best Regards
Kevin Swash
Chief Engineer
Aircraft Engineers Associates
Archerfield
Australia

kswash@aol.com

[Bob Cook]

There are two cables of different sizes. Is the cable we are refering the larger or smaller diameter? Is it the followthru cable ?

We are in the middle of an annual now and I want to have the cables pulled for inspection.

Tnx

Bob

[FRED-E]

Bob
It's the small cable, flaps don't have follow-through cables, they just go from the jack-screw to the wing and back to the jack-screw. Hope this helps.
Fred N358

[Bob Cook]

Fred-E

I am having the inspection done today. I saw another larger cable and thought it was a followthru. In this case a cable breaks and you really do have a problem. For some strange reason I had always invisioned flaps having a followthru cable in the event a cable breaks...

tnx for info

Bob

Here is a little more info on our broken cable
p/n 1460100-7 Cable Assembly - Flap Actuator Inboard. 337 has one of these each side and it is the operating cable between the motor and inboard bellcrank. If you have stainless steel the p/n is -307. These cable is 1/8. This is the cable that fails. 2 per a/c

p/n 1460100-8 Cable Assembly - Flap Actuator Outboard. Again one each side and runs from the inboard to the outboard bellcrank. If you have stainless steel the p/n is -308. These cables are 1/8.

p/n 1460100-34 cable Assembly - Flap return. One each side runs from the outboard bellcrank back to the motor. If you have stainless steel the p/n is - 334. This is a 3/32 cable.

TTIS on this aircraft was 7504 hours. S/N 3370322

Pictures are attached of ;
Broken cable.
Location of broken cable (new cable fitted)
Opposing operating cable (close to failure this looked like Freds when it was in the aircraft)

See pic