Jammed, Cracked, Loose

Left and right elevators were disassembled for repair. When the inboard flange was removed, exfoliating corrosion was found on spar. Corrosion is located under flange attach to spar and is not visible until parts are disassembled. The submitter suggests the issue isn’t one of flight time but the calender.

Editorial Staff

Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

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Flying's flight deck is open to new members of the crew. moizon/Pixabay

Key Takeaways:

Multiple aircraft experienced significant mechanical failures, including hidden elevator spar corrosion on a Beech Duchess, cracked main wheel hubs on a Cessna Cardinal RG, a loose alternator drive gear due to missing locking plates on a Continental engine, and a jammed elevator on a Mooney M20J.
Electrical system issues ranged from a failed circuit breaker acting as an auto-reset on a Cessna 172N to recurring cracked insulators in Champion RHB32S spark plugs on various aircraft, causing engine rough-running.
Several incidents highlight the importance of thorough, detailed inspections, as some problems were hidden (e.g., corrosion) or attributed to component age and specific vulnerabilities rather than just flight hours.

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Beech Model 76 Duchess Corroded Elevator Spar
Left and right elevators were disassembled for repair. When the inboard flange was removed, exfoliating corrosion was found on spar. Corrosion is located under flange attach to spar and is not visible until parts are disassembled. The submitter suggests the issue isn’t one of flight time but the calender.
Part Total Time: 5032 hours