Cessna 152 Broken Flap Cable “On final,” states an unidentified submitter, “the student selected 30 degrees flaps; a loud pop was heard, the r/h flap came down to 30 degrees, but there was no movement at the l/h flap. The aircraft landed without incident. Investigation revealed the swaged ball end broke from the remaining cable (p/n 0400107-146).” The submitter suspects high time and cycles as contributing factors to the failure. Part Total Time: 12,872.0 hours. Beech A36 Bonanza Loose Autopilot Connecting Rod A submitter writes, “The autopilot hook-up rod should be tightened up or removed from the aircraft at the factory. This is the second aircraft in one week (in which) this rod (and/or its attachment nuts) has been found loose.” The elevator control bell crank is p/n 002-524024-51. Part Total Time: 140.0 hours. Piper PA34-200 Worn Landing Gear Mount Holes 288
High and Low Time
"On final," states an unidentified submitter, "the student selected 30 degrees flaps; a loud pop was heard, the r/h flap came down to 30 degrees, but there was no movement at the l/h flap. The aircraft landed without incident. Investigation revealed the swaged ball end broke from the remaining cable (p/n 0400107-146)." The submitter suspects high time and cycles as contributing factors to the failure.
Key Takeaways:
- Multiple aircraft experienced critical component failures or loosening due to high time/cycles, suspected design flaws, or inadequate original hardware, including a broken flap cable, a cracked main landing gear actuator, and a broken horizontal stabilizer attachment fitting.
- Recurring issues were identified, such as loose autopilot connecting rods on Beech A36 Bonanzas (possibly a factory defect) and continually loosening main landing gear hardware on Piper PA34 Senecas.
- For Piper PA34s, a specific recommendation was made to regularly inspect landing gear attach hardware and replace original nut-plates with stronger alternatives (MS21078-5) to prevent loosening, chafing, and enlarged bolt holes.
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