Cut, Broken, Cracked

The bulkhead (p/n 0450046-5) was installed in 2007 at 1476.4 flight hours and has been inspected each 100 hours since. At the latest inspection, a crack was discovered at the base of the propeller hub; after removing the hub, severe cracking was found, comprising 85 percent of the distance around the center of the bulkhead. Mandatory propeller removal should take place at least every 200 hours of operation for a more thorough inspection of the bulkhead.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Multiple Cessna aircraft models experienced critical component failures, including a severely cracked spinner bulkhead (150L), a failed oil cooler vernatherm (208B), and frayed flap cables (337D), indicating a need for more frequent and thorough inspections.
A Piper PA-31-350 Navajo was found to have a small crack forming on its right-hand aft main landing gear trunnion.
ECI cylinders exhibited significant manufacturing defects, with one cylinder cracking and others developing multiple compression leaks, prompting the manufacturer to replace all cylinders.