---------------------------------------------------------- KIS-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Mon 06/11/18: 4 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 04:05 PM - Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 (Galin Hernandez) 2. 04:34 PM - Re: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 (Doug Crane) 3. 05:33 PM - Re: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 (Tim Yoder) 4. 08:13 PM - Re: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 () ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 04:05:03 PM PST US From: Galin Hernandez Subject: KIS-List: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 For a while now I noticed that after lubricating my KIS4 control surface hinges with LPS2, what looked like dirty watery streaks would appear from all the hinged areas. I thought it was just dirt loosened by the LPS2 and pushed out by the air stream. But during the recently completed Condition Inspection, the A&P I used noticed a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D sub stance around all the control surface hinges. He indicated it was aluminum powder which is a sign of the hinges slowly wearing out. Since my airplane is 17yrs old and has more than 1,250hrs he recommended I consider replacing the hinges. I decided this would be done on my next condition inspection and thought nothing of it. Today, just after departing on a VFR flight from St. Augustine to Ocala, I noticed that applying left rudder had gotten a little hard. Since this was not normal, I aborted the flight and immediately returned to St. Augustine. Once in my hangar I found that the top rudder hinge had come loose, the pin inside the hinge had broken and had somehow fallen out. The rudder was being held in place by the lower hinge and the control rod, neither of which showed any indication of imminent failure. A full inspection of all hinges showed no outward sign of failure to any of them, including the one that just failed. I realized it is difficult, if not impossible to inspect the condition of the pin inside the hinge. I have attached photos of the bottom hinge which shows some of the dark =9Cpowder-like=9D sub stance. So if you see a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance around your hi nges which become dirty watery streaks after lubrication, check the hinges of your control surfaces. Be very thorough with your inspection and replace the hinges if there is any question about their integrity. I am now in the process of replacing all the hinges of my airplane, not just for the rudder but both the ailerons and elevators. Be extra cautious with this since this can easily become a serious safety of flight issue. ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 04:34:49 PM PST US From: Doug Crane Subject: Re: KIS-List: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 Great heads up. Thank you Galin. (I'm in an Aviation Safety course right now.) -Doug On Mon, Jun 11, 2018, 16:07 Galin Hernandez wrote: > For a while now I noticed that after lubricating my KIS4 control surface > hinges with LPS2, what looked like dirty watery streaks would appear from > all the hinged areas. I thought it was just dirt loosened by the LPS2 and > pushed out by the air stream. But during the recently completed Condition > Inspection, the A&P I used noticed a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D s ubstance around > all the control surface hinges. He indicated it was aluminum powder which > is a sign of the hinges slowly wearing out. Since my airplane is 17yrs ol d > and has more than 1,250hrs he recommended I consider replacing the hinges .. > I decided this would be done on my next condition inspection and thought > nothing of it. > > > Today, just after departing on a VFR flight from St. Augustine to Ocala, I > noticed that applying left rudder had gotten a little hard. Since this wa s > not normal, I aborted the flight and immediately returned to St. Augustin e. > Once in my hangar I found that the top rudder hinge had come loose, the p in > inside the hinge had broken and had somehow fallen out. The rudder was > being held in place by the lower hinge and the control rod, neither of > which showed any indication of imminent failure. A full inspection of all > hinges showed no outward sign of failure to any of them, including the on e > that just failed. I realized it is difficult, if not impossible to inspec t > the condition of the pin inside the hinge. I have attached photos of the > bottom hinge which shows some of the dark =9Cpowder-like=9D s ubstance. > > > So if you see a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance around your hinges which > become dirty watery streaks after lubrication, check the hinges of your > control surfaces. Be very thorough with your inspection and replace the > hinges if there is any question about their integrity. I am now in the > process of replacing all the hinges of my airplane, not just for the rudd er > but both the ailerons and elevators. Be extra cautious with this since th is > can easily become a serious safety of flight issue. > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 05:33:39 PM PST US From: "Tim Yoder" Subject: RE: KIS-List: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 Thanks Galin. I=99ll check my TR 1 Tim From: owner-kis-list-server@matronics.com On Behalf Of Galin Hernandez Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 4:04 PM Subject: KIS-List: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 For a while now I noticed that after lubricating my KIS4 control surface hinges with LPS2, what looked like dirty watery streaks would appear from all the hinged areas. I thought it was just dirt loosened by the LPS2 and pushed out by the air stream. But during the recently completed Condition Inspection, the A&P I used noticed a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance around all the control surface hinges. He indicated it was aluminum powder which is a sign of the hinges slowly wearing out. Since my airplane is 17yrs old and has more than 1,250hrs he recommended I consider replacing the hinges. I decided this would be done on my next condition inspection and thought nothing of it. Today, just after departing on a VFR flight from St. Augustine to Ocala, I noticed that applying left rudder had gotten a little hard. Since this was not normal, I aborted the flight and immediately returned to St. Augustine. Once in my hangar I found that the top rudder hinge had come loose, the pin inside the hinge had broken and had somehow fallen out. The rudder was being held in place by the lower hinge and the control rod, neither of which showed any indication of imminent failure. A full inspection of all hinges showed no outward sign of failure to any of them, including the one that just failed. I realized it is difficult, if not impossible to inspect the condition of the pin inside the hinge. I have attached photos of the bottom hinge which shows some of the dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance. So if you see a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance around your hinges which become dirty watery streaks after lubrication, check the hinges of your control surfaces. Be very thorough with your inspection and replace the hinges if there is any question about their integrity. I am now in the process of replacing all the hinges of my airplane, not just for the rudder but both the ailerons and elevators. Be extra cautious with this since this can easily become a serious safety of flight issue. ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 08:13:50 PM PST US From: Subject: RE: KIS-List: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 Thanks for the heads up Galin, I remember speaking to Vance and Rich about lubricating the hinges and both saying that it was not necessary which did not seem right to me. Do you think that the problem could be caused by galvanic reaction between the different metals, I know that on our boat we have a problem with alumin um and stainless in close contact with each other Glad it all ended well Mike From: owner-kis-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-kis-list-server@mat ronics.com] On Behalf Of Galin Hernandez Sent: June 11, 2018 4:04 PM Subject: KIS-List: Control Surface Hinge Failure - KIS4 For a while now I noticed that after lubricating my KIS4 control surface hi nges with LPS2, what looked like dirty watery streaks would appear from all the hinged areas. I thought it was just dirt loosened by the LPS2 and push ed out by the air stream. But during the recently completed Condition Inspe ction, the A&P I used noticed a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substanc e around all the control surface hinges. He indicated it was aluminum powde r which is a sign of the hinges slowly wearing out. Since my airplane is 17 yrs old and has more than 1,250hrs he recommended I consider replacing the hinges. I decided this would be done on my next condition inspection and t hought nothing of it. Today, just after departing on a VFR flight from St. Augustine to Ocala, I noticed that applying left rudder had gotten a little hard. Since this was not normal, I aborted the flight and immediately returned to St. Augustine. Once in my hangar I found that the top rudder hinge had come loose, the pi n inside the hinge had broken and had somehow fallen out. The rudder was be ing held in place by the lower hinge and the control rod, neither of which showed any indication of imminent failure. A full inspection of all hinges showed no outward sign of failure to any of them, including the one that ju st failed. I realized it is difficult, if not impossible to inspect the con dition of the pin inside the hinge. I have attached photos of the bottom hi nge which shows some of the dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance. So if you see a dark =9Cpowder-like=9D substance around your hi nges which become dirty watery streaks after lubrication, check the hinges of your control surfaces. Be very thorough with your inspection and replace the hinges if there is any question about their integrity. I am now in the process of replacing all the hinges of my airplane, not just for the rudde r but both the ailerons and elevators. Be extra cautious with this since th is can easily become a serious safety of flight issue. --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message kis-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/KIS-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/kis-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/kis-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.