AV 2004-03
4 June 2004
Flight control cables
Transport Canada periodically receives Service Difficulty Reports describing damaged or broken flight control cables found on various aircraft models. Typical inspection findings include wires and strands that are worn, broken, frayed, or kinked. Corrosion on cables and pulleys is also reported.
The annual and 100-flight hour interval inspections for general aviation aircraft routinely require an inspection of flight control cables, but do not always require removal of the cables. FAA AC 43.13-1B, Chapter 7, Section 8, provides information on the inspection, repair and chart [pages 103/104] showing the inspection intervals and potential discrepancies for all components of the Flying Controls.
Bombardier issued Service Bulletin (SB) 1-27-1 to address a specific potential concern on the DHC-1 Chipmunk flap operating cable system in response to a reported cable failure on a foreign-manufactured DHC-1 aircraft. A copy of this SB and other Chipmunk-related information is available from Bombardier at the following address:
Bombardier Aerospace
Customer Service Center (CSC)
3400, Douglas B. Floreani
St-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1V2
Attention: Supervisor, CSC Technical Operation Center
Main Telephone: (514) 855-8900
North America Toll Free: 1-866- 634-6727
Fax: (514) 956-2888
e-mail: csc.toc@services.bombardier.com
Any further defects or occurrences should be reported to Transport Canada, Continuing Airworthiness, Ottawa via the Service Difficulty Reporting program.
For further information contact a Transport Canada Centre, or call Mr. Bill Miller, Continuing Airworthiness, Ottawa, telephone (613) 952-4388, facsimile (613) 996-9178 or e-mail millerw@tc.gc.ca.
For Director, Aircraft Certification
B. Goyaniuk
Chief, Continuing Airworthiness
Chef, Maintien de la navigabilité aérienne
Note: For the electronic version of this document, please consult the following Web address: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/aircraft-airworthiness/aircraft-certification