Alina Explains Flap Fail

Yep, too many keyboard karens!

given the machine screw is within inches of what appears to be the wing spar attach bolt and looks to be about ~4 inches long i wonder how it was never seen as it slowly protruded more and more? I would expect it to have been a thru connection with a nut to secure the device.

Who did ever mount that bolt ??? It was fitted upside down, ( and apparently again mounted the wrong way 😳🙈) very, very bad practice in Aviation and totally unprofessional…..It should have been mounted the other way round so that it could never fall out when the nut went….

Hello. Well done Alina. One question. I’ve been fixing transport category aircraft for over 40 years and my first observation is the orientation. Can the bolt go in from the top ? Hard to see on the video. Basic maintenance would always be to fit bolts/fasteners in a fail safe mode where possible. Bolt head up or forward. great follow up video. 👍👍

That’s why it is a good idea to put bolts from the top and nut on the bottom. So if nut gets unscrewed the bolt does not fall out and still holds part in place

One flap up and the other one down would be a challenge and a possibility. I find it strange that the bolt is mounted upside down so it can fall out when the nut is gone.

This is what Anual is for ✈️😎

Nice job staying cool which is so important! Blue LockTite seems like a good idea. When you check the bolt after the LockTite cures, don't turn the bolt, since that will lessen the LockTite's ability to hold. Just check to see that it's tight.

I had a flap stuck full down on a touch n go in a DA-40, killed the climb performance by about 70%. A quick Look at the VSI and saw I was going to clear trees by a good margin, and then waited until 500 Ft to troubleshoot. Staying calm is huge when things don't go as planned in an aircraft. In this case it turned out to be a faulty limit switch.

Good your ok a reason to wear a helmet with a visor

LAND ASAP if you start to lose bolts. It is allways critical to lose bolts especially if you dont know where it is from. Inform NASA it is from ISS.

I was astonished how many people are living rough in RV's there

Lucky young lady! Makes a periodic general inspection worth doing and re-torque everything with Loctite.

I’m surprised that in an open cockpit aircraft that she doesn’t wear a proper helmet and visor. Asking for trouble without it.

OOPS.

{Glad you were okay.}

Glad she made it back to the ground safely. Perhaps there is some valid reason the bolt is installed with the head down? Not the normal practice in aircraft. Ok, it's upside down. Should there not be a cotter pin or safety wire for some reason? I survived 45 years as a commercial pilot. Blue thread locker would not be my first choice.

I can see your flaps in the thumbnail 😂

Even though it has been 7 years. Inspection, inspection, inspection. I would take those bolts out and drill a hole to safety those bolts with wire.

Failure. The noun.

thats why you should wear an helmet

Those bolts are unlikely to be cadmium plated. They're probably yellow zinc plated.

Lack of maintanance can kill you.

why are there subtitles? and why are subtitle so terribly off all the time? don't people know how to edit? it's distracting and annoying.

Good catch!
Was there no loctite present on that bolt from factory?
Someone in the comments also suggested to do loctite, and a visable lock indicator.
That would be the best way forward.

Tail feathers, thats beautiful

контрить надо

In truth, I'll bet you never do another pre flight inspection without at least looking at that bolt.

Hi from France !
I'm aircraft engineer, and I will give you some information:
- that's exactly why safety wire exist : secure bolts (heating, grease or other chemical product will not destroy a safety wire, but for loctite...)
- preventive maintenance MUST be applied on every flight things, with check scheduled based on risk and flight time. eg : all primary control surface system have to be checked in detail each 100 flight hours, and bolts, links, cables removed and installed again each 500 flight hours (There is sometime manufacturer instructions for the recommended limits, the "AMP" for Aircraft Maintenance Program. If it doesn't exist for yours, you can make your own based on a similar airplane)
- Those bolts are not installed correctly. The head should be on the upper side, and the nut in the lower side. If you lose the nut, you may have more chance to keep the control, but without the bolt, no way !

Then, I've seen the inflight video, and your reaction is good, calm and return to land as quick as possible is the best you can do in this situation.

Have a lot of nice flights ;)

Hey from nor cal ….

That bolt was installed incorrectly….AC 43-13. Should have been installed if the nut came loose the bolt would have stayed in…. (The bolt installs head up) You need to have someone that knows what they are doing AP IA look over your whole plane before flying it again… FYI IA 30+ years

As an ex Royal Air Force(R.A.F.) Eng Mech I am astounded that the two bolt heads were NOT either Wired Locked together to STOP either Bolt from rotating LOOSE or The Bolt heads were not secured by Tab Washers against rotation.
In my Book Loctite is OK on Cars where you can pull up at the side of the road, or on static Machinery etc , however I do not care how much Loctite etc has been Tested there is ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE FOR LOCTITE ON AIRCRAFT.... FULL STOP.
I am not being critical about you, However I am being critical about YOUR TRAINING or lack of.... On your Microlite there is not much out of sight so Familiarity Breed Contempt ... this is where 'Touching is Permitted' (unless you are woke).... YOUR FIRST thought should have been to alert you to the possible DANGER caused by Familiarity.... NOW deeply embossed in your Mind should BE HOW DO I AVOID THAT HAPPENING AGAIN. VERY simple "TOUCH and TWIST" ALL NUTS, BOLTS, COMPONENTS to establish AIRWORTHINESS even down to ROCKING YOUR WHEELS for LOOSENESS and to Check the BEARING Tolerance and if the Split Pin through the Castellated NUT is secure.
I am astounded that you and your so called back up crew were SO BLOODY BLASE (pronounced Bla-se in English or casual) about your SAFETY.
IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE then start thinking that you were so close to plummeting out of the SKY and ended up as Strawberry Jam on the GROUND

Why people who flu open cockpit, especially ultralites don't wesr damn helmets! Same goes for motorcycle riders. Why they don't is because they wanna look cool. This perception I believe has been placed also in the ultralite community and needs to be squashed! You crash or, in this case, something flys in your face could have gone bad! I am glad she's safe, but she needs to be wearing a helmet.

I would never design something with the bolt head pointing down when it's just as easy to put it on the top. The nut should have just fallen off in this case. I would wire the bolt and feel favourable towards nylocks too.

I like when girls are technically interested. Well managed situation

Hi Alina, you need to matchmark the bolts/screws so you can see if they are starting to loosen. Safe flights lass.

Jsi super holka🙃....

Thanks for the video! Glad you got it fixed! - There's a product you can smear over the end that stays rubbery, and can be 100% removed. I used it on industrial scales in forklifts (VERY heavy duty use) on amphenal connectors, to keep them from coming undone. It's cheap, like $5 or less, and you can smear it over both screws, and that would stop them backing out... It's called GOOP, like shoe goo, but I get the stuff in the plumbing section at Menards (Home Depot or Lowes would also carry it, and possibly Walmart too). The product is a RTV Sealant and Adhesive. Works AMAZING, but if you want it gone, use a pair of needle nose pliers, and peel up a corner, and it'll ROLL off like a strong piece of rubber...but you gotta let it setup for about 1-2 hours...skins over in minutes, and looks clear, and nice, unless the sun makes it yellow.

Anyway, thanks for sharing, and hope this helps.

Good as always, cannot add anything to the already stellar comment section

Good to see where the screw came from. I think I'd be doing a general look at everything in between flights as this craft get older. I'm sure they vibrate quite a bit. Glad this had a good ending. 👍

Loctite. The Engineers friend 🙂

😮make sure your pass'ing the test its n'ot too difficult baby

Fell from Boeing😂

Having bolts fall out of my airplane would make me wonder, briefly, "wait, am I flying the ultralight or the Boeing today?"

Did she say nobody checked the bolt for eight years straight?

good flying

how would the bolt come out if it had a nyloc nut on it ....if it didnt why not

Check fasteners all the time. If it took seven years for the bolt to come loose that is a long time without checking. The paranoid survive!

Bonsoir Martha 🌹

Осудительная расцветка самолёта! Она не с 404 случайно?

Какая захватывающая история про блестящий болт😂

New bolt added to the preflight check. :)