Pinned

The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Missing, improperly installed, or failed cotter pins are a recurring safety concern across various aircraft models, affecting critical systems like flight controls, landing gear, and engine power linkages.
These cotter pin issues lead to significant operational malfunctions, including loss of control, landing gear collapse, and power setting failures.
Incidents occur on components with both very low total times (suggesting initial installation errors) and high total times (indicating wear and fatigue), underscoring the need for meticulous inspection and proper installation.

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Cub Crafters CC18-180 Top Cub
Missing Aileron System Cotter Pin
Discovered right aileron cable-to-bellcrank attach bolt nut missing its cotter key (p/n MS24665). Nut was still present.
Part Total Time: 27.0 hours

Cub Crafters CC18-180 Top Cub
Missing Elevator System Cotter Pin
During inspection of new aircraft for contract compliance verification, discovered up elevator cable-to-elevator bellcrank attach bolt nut (castellated nut) missing its cotter key. Nut was still present but appeared to have backed off 1.0 to 1.5 turns.
Part Total Time: 24.0 hours