Avidflyer2
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- Mar 25, 2016
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This week I witnessed an expensive maintenance error on a Seneca II done previously during the last 100H Inspection. The two-bladed propeller spinner domes had accidentally been installed on their opposite props. The propellers had contacted the spinner dome on the prop leading edges chafing a rather deep groove in the prop blades, and a small indent in the spinner domes.
The cut-out in the spinner dome is not that obvious when the spinners are removed, but it becomes obvious when they are installed IF you know where to look. During preflight and especially after maintenance I recommend looking specifically for the amount of clearance between the prop blade and spinner. The normal clearance is about 3/8" or the width of a finger, when the spinners are reversed this clearance becomes less than 1/8" with the prop at fine pitch, it only rubs at a higher blade pitch.
The damage is severe enough to have both props evaluated at a prop shop, and one spinner dome may have to be replaced. The props are very low time at less than 300 hours, if they need new $$ blades it'll be very costly indeed.
The cut-out in the spinner dome is not that obvious when the spinners are removed, but it becomes obvious when they are installed IF you know where to look. During preflight and especially after maintenance I recommend looking specifically for the amount of clearance between the prop blade and spinner. The normal clearance is about 3/8" or the width of a finger, when the spinners are reversed this clearance becomes less than 1/8" with the prop at fine pitch, it only rubs at a higher blade pitch.
The damage is severe enough to have both props evaluated at a prop shop, and one spinner dome may have to be replaced. The props are very low time at less than 300 hours, if they need new $$ blades it'll be very costly indeed.
