Page 25 - June 2023

close-up shot of an outboard flap roller from the top of the wing. I started to manipulate the ailerons so she could get the shot, and I heard a strange grinding noise. We jiggled it again for a better shot at the flap roller and I heard the noise again – a raspy grating noise. Something was not right.
Everyone stopped what they were doing in the shop and gathered around. I moved the aileron again and – grate, grate, grate. It’s hard to tell exactly where this sound was coming from, so one guy got under the wing and poked his head into the wheel well. I moved the aileron some more – rasp, rasp, rasp. The next thing I heard was: “Oh shoot! This is NOT GOOD.”
An aileron cable, routed incorrectly, was sawing through the rib in the wing! Everybody in the shop was taken aback. Nobody saw that coming!
Inside the wing structure, the ribs have lightening holes for weight reduction. Holes for cable routing are smaller, often oval-shaped with a protective lining to prevent chafing. They are very different. It’s hard to confuse the two, but apparently someone found a way.
Since both wings had been off for the AD, we thought we’d check the other wing for good measure. We found the same problem on the other side! I was in shock.
I struggled with how to deliver this news to the already livid owner. As if the flap track rollers weren’t bad enough,
I now must tell him the aileron cables are slicing through the ribs in both wings. We decided an email with a brief description and a photo of the cable cutting into the rib would be best. In the subject line, it said, “More Bad News; Call Dean Now.”
My phone rings. Words cannot describe the unbridled rage that overcame this owner-operator. “No wonder the ailerons felt so strange! No wonder the yoke was suddenly out of whack! How could they have done this? How could they have not found this when I brought it back squawking the ailerons?” Phone calls, photos and emails abounded, some with expletives undeleted. But as the tide of emotion receded, we turned to solutions.
Focused on the Fix
I sent the photos to the tech reps at Beech in Wichita. We discussed repair options on the phone. They devised a fix for the ribs and we executed it. Although we did not have to remove the wings again, we had to go pretty deep with this fix.
We disassembled the flaps and ailerons on both sides; inspected the aileron cables for broken strands, and fortunately they were still good, so we dodged a bullet there. We properly routed the aileron cables in each wing. When we reinstalled the flaps and ailerons, we made sure all the flap track rollers were correctly installed.
JUNE 2023
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 23