Mufflers And Exhausts

The following is derived from maintenance facility submissions to the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports database.

Editorial Staff

Sunday, September 29, 2024 at 05:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Multiple aircraft types experienced diverse exhaust system failures, predominantly involving cracks in flanges, spot welds, or muffler bodies.
These failures frequently led to exhaust gas leaks, resulting in carbon monoxide (CO) warnings in the cockpit or cabin, posing significant safety risks.
Some critical cracks were not readily detectable during routine visual inspections, requiring component removal for proper identification.
Exhaust system component failures occurred at widely varying operating hours, from very low times to unknown, indicating diverse wear and durability issues.

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Cessna 150L

Cracked Flange

During a scheduled inspection, a crack was found at the forward muffler flange. Crack is approximately 75 percent around the circumference. There is separation along the crack. Exhaust trails were found inside shroud and well down into hot-air ducting. Muffler identified as having three small pin holes in 2008. Heat system incapacitated at that time for safety reasons; muffler remained in service.