Field Service Difficulty Reports Received About The Company

A Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) has been issued to alert owners, operators, and certificated repair facilities, of any propeller, or any propeller component parts, repaired, inspected, or overhauled by Western Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc. (Air Agency Certificate #FQ6R544N) of potential nonconformities that might exist. We have received field service difficulty reports concerning two Hartzell Propeller, Inc. model PHC-C3YF-2UF (S/Ns EB1176 and EB1178) propellers installed on a Hawker Beechcraft Baron Model E55 airplane. We evaluated the propellers based on an owner complaint that his propellers were improperly overhauled. At this time, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action.

The above suspect propellers were removed and sent to another propeller repair station for evaluation. An FAA Flight Standards Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) witnessed the subsequent teardown of the two propeller assemblies. During the teardown inspection several nonconformities were discovered, and the propellers were sent to Hartzell Propeller, Inc. for further examination. The following are some of the nonconformities compiled by the FAA PMI from that examination:

• Helicoil “Slimserts” required to be installed at overhaul were not installed in the hub mounting studs.
• The blade pitch change knobs were shot peened without the required quality control preauthorization from the propeller manufacturer and appeared to have used the wrong shot peening process.
• Protective finish paint was not Polane Gray as defined in manufacturer’s instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA), and was easily removed using lacquer thinner.
• Pitch change knob bushings were installed in the wrong position, and were installed with an un-approved adhesive.
• One hub had damaged threads well beyond tolerances established by the ICA.
• One cylinder had damaged threads well beyond tolerances established by the ICA.
• EC776 “sealer” was applied in the hub bearing retention radius which has not been required since the early 1990s.

Beech Baron File Photo

Because of the observed condition of the propeller assemblies discovered during this inspection, the Portland Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) performed a focused repair station facility inspection. The following are some of the conditions noted during the inspection:

• The facility performed inspections specified by Airworthiness Directives (ADs), and returned propellers to service, without meeting the applicable nondestructive inspection (NDI) qualifications required by the AD.
• NDI equipment calibrations were not kept current in accordance with the applicable propeller manufacturer’s ICAs.
• Employee certifications for NDI Level II requirements were not kept current.
• Calibration of tools used to assemble and overhaul propeller components were out of date.
• The facility was not qualified to perform shot peening and used an unapproved shot peening process on propeller blades.
• The facility performed NDI, and applied protective chemical conversion coatings on propeller component parts without meeting the requirements or qualifications specified in the propeller manufacturer’s ICA. Some of these parts were installed during overhaul, and some were stocked for resale with FAA 8130-3 forms attached.
• Used propeller parts in stock at the facility were returned to service with FAA 8130-3 forms as “overhauled,” “reconditioned,” or “inspected” without reference or traceability to any FAA accepted standards.
• The facility did not perform all the requirements for a propeller overhaul as defined by the applicable propeller manufacturer’s ICAs, but returned the propeller assembly to service as “overhauled.”

To prevent potential propeller failures or associated propeller service difficulties, we recommend that if you have any propeller model or propeller component part that has had work performed by this propeller repair station reinspected in accordance with the applicable propeller manufacturer’s
published ICA documentation. If any nonconformities are discovered, please contact the FAA below and submit a report summary of the nonconformities. Please include propeller manufacturer’s name, propeller model, part number (as applicable), serial number, and applicable aircraft installation information.

FMI: www.faa.gov