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

Verified

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

Key Takeaways:

Aircraft experienced diverse mechanical and structural integrity failures, including hidden elevator spar corrosion, internal main wheel hub cracks, and loose alternator drive gears due to missing locking plates, often requiring disassembly to uncover.
Specific component defects led to operational issues, such as a circuit breaker failing to trip (masking a short), a jammed elevator assembly, and recurring problems with Champion spark plugs developing cracked insulators across multiple aircraft.
Many reported issues were not readily apparent during routine inspections, highlighting the challenge of identifying latent or age-related component failures that can manifest unexpectedly.

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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