FATAL FLAW **Watch ASAP!*** AeroCruze TruTrak Autopilot Cessna Piper servos, check yours NOW!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- Please check your autopilot servos and contact BendixKing to make sure this never happens to anyone else.
techsupport@bendixking.com
Business/Media TheRealJimmysWorld@gmail.com
To those who disagree with the presentation of this video let me ask one question:
- after this video did you check your servo installation?
If you answered yes, this video did exactly what I intended.
If you answered no, why not?
Because I don’t own an airplane.
@@Edub-em3rr that's no excuse! Go get one! 🤣
@@SailingSarah I want one. I can't afford one.
@@halutena736 I was just joking with the other guy. Yeah the expense is definitely above the reach of the average Joe unless you don't have anything else taking your money. Ideally if you can find a hangar to live in you're far closer to the air than the average Joe. 🤠
Posting information like this is extremely important and every pilot needs to be reminded to be ever vigilant, no matter what you fly.
Yes indeed!
A friend of mine has a 172 that I fly with from time to time. After I viewed your video, I gave him a call to watch this as I didn't know what system he had installed on his plane. Fortunately he had a different system. Thanks so much for making this video as lives could be saved and avert a possible tragedy. GREAT Post Jimmy!
I really appreciate videos like this that warn you about engineering mistakes that can kill you and everyone else onboard. This video could very likely have saved lives!
Great Details Jimmy..can I get a Clear Prop! Thank you..This shold be a wake up call hopefully it will save someone's life.
I hope so, after noticing this difference, I’d be scared of flying one knowing it’s a single point of failure that would be catastrophic.
@@therealjimmysworld >>> Do you know if an AD {Airworthiness Directive} or similar was ever issued by the FAA?
I like the fact that Jimmy leaves the critic's comments in this discussion. They seem all upset about the flaming crash pictures - which I personally think emphasized the importance of this issue, whether it was a design flaw or just poor installation procedures. I hope Jimmy's World never changes, either his flair for the dramatic or his sense of humor. Can't wait to hear if TruTrak gets a design change. (btw, is the guy at Cavu Air a friend of yours?) 🤣
Thank you sir.
👍 Good catch by the p.i.c. of that aircraft and to you too Jimmy for putting this on social media to inform. 👍
Thanks, please spread this around!
Great job Jimmy. You did exactly wanted you wanted to do and bring attention to a possible dangerous situation. You could possible save many lives. Thanks for sharing and speaking from your heart.
Ooof, no bueno~
Still to this day I have no idea what locked up my controls in an Archer. It was the only time I flew that specific aircraft. Upon climbing out of our last circuit the pitch axis locked up on us. The climb got steeper and steeper and my CFI and I both started sweating. He said push so we jammed it forward until we heard a metallic pong sound and the controls were free. I hadn't flown in 12 years at that point, it was a few days after my birthday and we just had our first child, born on my birthday, so this flight was super special. For additional flavor on this flight the newly minted CFI flew me into IMC just a bit before this took place. I learned quite a bit.
Whew…. Glad you’re here to talk about it. That is definitely scary stuff!
Yikes! Glad it was caught in time.
It wasn’t though. They already flew an hour that day and happen to get fuel and it happened while doing a run up after fueling.
I would have crapped my pants knowing I just flew an hour with this. Serious providence.
@@therealjimmysworld I mean at least the failure was caught in time on the ground that is.
amen to that! a few minutes either direction and this could have been much different.
Thank You for the information. Thank You for reminding people to check check all of the time!!
Good catch Jimmy. I hope other pilots will report back on what they found in their own aircraft. Damn...
Me too! How can we make sure to get this info out? Post to forums?
@@therealjimmysworld Already done! :)
Thank you sir.
That looks like a first generation TruTrack servo. The center screw is missing. It is held in with Loctite and serves no other purpose that to keep the arm from sliding off the shaft. Later servo versions hold the arm on the shaft via a large lock nut. I both cases torque is transferred via shear screws.
Good reporting. This will generate an Emergency AD.
I sure hope so!
AD should not be generated. Installer and inspector should be questioned. See discussion with CAVU Air elsewhere here.
My hope is that some sort of inspection AD is issued or service bulletin. Something to, at least, have a look to make sure some other plane didn't have this issue. AD's get issued for all kinds of things, most not near as critical as this.
That happened tp me, but I was able to over ride the safety pin and saved the day. Thanks for showing this, it may save some one..
I checked my TruTrak servos after this video. I have the B servos that have one screw on top and a set screw holding the arm on from the side. No problems. I can't see how the screws in the video would have backed out. Proper installation with threadlocker would have definitely prevented.
Good to know. I haven't had a good feeling about the TruTraks. I can't use them in my aircraft, but considered them on my Arrow. Thanks
Thanks for the comment
You might want to dig into the details a little more before making a decision. Take a look at some of the other comments from @Cavu Air and others.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, dig into the details and discover the truth. Ain’t no way I’m flying with those servos on my plane. Even with thread lock. Single point of failure on control surface.... nope. That’s worse than an engine going out on take off.
@@therealjimmysworld Problem is, you did not "dig into the details and discover the truth". You trashed the manufacturer of the AP servo before you found out the truth.. And you are still doing it ("ain't no way" comment above) even after the truth is out and known! This is an installer issue. END. I am truly sorry you were unable to buy a TruTrak (your first choice) in the beginning because they could not ship soon enough. (your earlier video) BK has been in touch with the installer and the aircraft owner. Parts are being shipped to repair the servo that WAS DAMAGED BY THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION. Our aircraft have MANY "single points of failure". Qualified people know this and deal with this in a competent and professional manner. That's why the installer should have taken extra care in installing the servo arm. (At LEAST should have READ the instructions) With your bias in attempting to trash a manufacturer, you have publicly focused attention upon the installer, the "second signoff", and the aircraft owner (whom is ultimately responsible for the airworthiness of his aircraft.) It will be interesting to see how they will treat your comments now. It would appear that you may have publicly accused a major organization of producing a "fatally flawed" product . The installer, even in "making things right" may now face public scrutiny that may affect his business, as well as the owner that flew an unairworthy aircraft. I would suggest that you might consider taking down the vid, or from the comments of another on a another forum, "lawyer up".
Thank you for your concern to make flying safer.
Good looking out Jimmy 👍
This is not a TruTrak autopilot problem. It was caused by the failure of the installer to correctly install the servo. Per the TruTrak autopilot installation manual the screws securing the servo arm require Loctite 242 and torquing to 18-20 in.lb. Per Bendix/TruTrak the installer DID NOT use Loctite or the proper torque.
Confirmed that this mechanic did not use the recommended thread locker. Also consider:
1- there is no redundancy to keep the control binding from happening, which would be catastrophic.
2- mechanics are human, prone to imperfection. Of the thousands of these ap’s installed, there are bound to be a couple that MIGHT have the same issue. Especially if the screws don’t come from manufacturer with thread lock already on it.
3- always improving and learning. This is how ad’s/service bulletins originate.
Thanks Jimmy.
There are a few other potential problems with the trutrak servos that could lead to flight controls jamming... ie: arm shaft roll pin falling off, not too reasuring reading all the failures when doing a search on trutrak ap
Thanks for the comment, What other failures did you discover?
@@therealjimmysworld personally ive seen a servo shaft roll pin fall off which lead to the servo shaft just popping off from the servo, you can search google you’ll see several reports with pictures of that problem, i think newer servos have bigger pins or locktite installed to take care of that problem
huh... that would suck.... that would be safer for the whole thing to pop off rather than bind up like this one.
Jim, Is there any new info on the TRITRAC issue? What should I specialty inspect on my servos?
The rod is out of adjustment. That rod only has .035 thousand tolerance. Your friends autopilot was not installed correctly. When done CORRECTLY true track is a fine system. We will be posting a video of how to correctly install them.
What I'm not seeing in the photos is any trace of thread lock on those locating screws for the servo arm. That being said, yeah, a fail-safe retaining mechanism would be a Good Thing.
That was my first question, and I’ve asked around and I still can’t get a solid answer on if they come with thread lock like the trio ones do.
@@therealjimmysworld Well Jimmy.. , you are not trying very hard! instead of "asking around" why not just check the install manual ? (it's online) ( or ask others that know what they are doing) The installation manual is absolutely clear about using thread locker and proper torque on those screws. If thread locker is used on these 3 screws IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THEM WITHOUT SERIOUS EFFORT AND (S0ME) HEAT. Someone unqualified or careless messed up, NOT TruTrak. Look at the geometry, if the same thing happened to your Trio or other brand servo, and the pushrod, fulcrum and arbor center all happened to line up like this , that would stop the show no matter which brand you used. Thousands of TruTrak APs are in the market now working well and reliably. But none are immune to people doing careless and /or stupid things like this. A careful and qualified installer would use thread locker on any installation like this because his or her training would have dictated the process. Thanks for the heads up. All TT owners should verify the correct installation and thread locker used. But lay off the crash pictures that DO NOT RELATE to the incident. They SERIOUSLY downgrades the credibility of your opinion and the importance of the information.
Thanks for your several comments. I can see that this video has touched on something you care deeply about. I also appreciate you keeping the conversation civil and not started any name calling or slander. Thank you.
Now to reply to your comments:
- My opinion: It is a given assumption that EVERY installer, EVERY time will follow EVERY instruction PERFECTLY. However, the installers are human, just like you and I. That's why so many regulations, processes and procedures are put into place to do everything possible to eliminate the human error potential. Unfortunately, we're still human and prone to not be perfect every time, every day. What I am suggesting is to look at this design to see how we can make it safer. I think that is what we all want. Safer flying, safer systems. From your comments it appears that you are a very knowledgeable owner that has a level of mechanical competence. I don't know if you've ever worked in a mechanic type shop with customer demands, distractions, owner/manager demands/deadlines and the mountain of paperwork that goes with everything. Oh, and the millions of pages of manuals that each have their own special way of doing things. It can be very onerous at times. An easy environment to miss something. And ask any owner or mechanic that's been around for more than 5 years and they will have countless stories of mechanics missing something that shouldn't have been missed, if they were following EVERY step EVERY time.
Both of us want the same thing. Less mistakes and safer airplanes. Let's figure out how to keep you safer in your airplane. Since you helped install your similar autopilot, you would be better positioned to offer suggestions on what else can be done so that this would never happen again. You have every right to complain, I would ask you to also bring solutions.
Per the install manual: "2.11. Attach the appropriate roll servo arm to a 60 inch/lb PMA servo (P/N 8100-064 for 12 volt or P/N 8100-065 for 24 volt) using the provided 8-32 x 3/8” flat head screws. Use blue threadlocker (Loctite 242 or equivalent) and torque the screws to 18-20 in-lb." Looks like that was not done. There are 1000's of these flying with no issues.
Very true, and how many are flying that didn’t get threadlocker? Also, it’s a major single point of failure. I don’t know what the faa will discover or do, but IMO that is a bad design.
Yup... looks like an improper installation. Proper use of thread locker would make the assembly almost permanent...
I agree. my fear is that we all know that mechanics (even good ones) sometimes make a mistake or forget something. This would be very easy to forget or gloss over. Let's say the mechanic thought, "I'll put this on there for fitment and I'll need to take it back off to put the threadlock on there." and then doesn't do that... too easy to make that mistake
@@therealjimmysworld No it is not a bad design. Other manufacturers use the same. It does however, like countless other parts in any installation, require that the installer follow the manufacturers instructions..
@@therealjimmysworld No.. this assembly does not need "fitment" , it slips on without hesitation and lines up perfectly. For a QUALIFIIED mechanic to forget or "gloss over" such a vital control link is a serious omission. And how about the "Second signoff" on a control system repair or install? TWO people had to sign off on this installation... I suspect the FAA will have a discussion with both? Easy for the 2nd person to see the torque seal (or lack of) .
Thanks dude! Your awesome.
should be airworthiness bulletin put out on all cessna 172s for this.call the faa.
This servo is installed in a certified plane. There are no set screws. There are 3 screws that hold the arm onto the servo that are supposed to be installed to a specified torque and with blue loctite. There is no sheer screw or center stud to hold the servo arm. Those items are on the experimental servos. The certified servos have a clutch so the pilot can override the servo input, versus the experimental that has a sheer screw that allows the pilot to overpower the servo if it locks up. They are different servos. Again, there are NO SET SCREWS. They are mounting screws. If they were installed correctly, they should not back out. On the pictures servo, there are 3 mounting screws, at least 2 of which are completely gone and the third, if still there, is loose.
Thank you for the report.
When did this happen?
It looks like your photos came from captioned photos somewhere else? Is there a link to a more detailed write-up?
I'm not just interested in this in general. I have very specific interest. TruTrak/AeroCruz may be the first autopilot certified for Mooneys at a price point that's not half the value of some of the older fleet. I also really like the TruTrak's very simple interface design more than I like the Trio's. (I've flown with a Trio a few times in a club airplane.)
I will be watching this investigation *very* closely.
That is the pic of the servo on the plane that failed. Taken with my friends iPhone that was flying it.
The other servo pic is from my install video. I took a screen shot at a good spot where you could see the end.
Hope that helps.
Hope that there has been a recall or at least an airworthiness directive. Fly safe everyone.
Also, it would be a big help to have a few more views of the end of the servo and the bell crank. I can't tell what's jamming on what.
I assume that the silver rod in the upper left goes to the aircraft controls. And I gather that the bellcrank attached to that silver rod through a heims bearing has slipped free of the rotating part of the servo. And so I understand why the servo could no longer command the controls, but I would have assumed that the failure mode would be that the bell crank would just flop around on the end of the silver control arm, which might even make some noise, but what does it jam in/against?
Thanks for any help.
The servo arm jammed against itself and created a binding of the controls. If all 3 screws came out it wouldn’t have jammed.
@@therealjimmysworld Hmmm.. if the arm jammed on the output arbor, the clutch should have allowed the controls to function. It looks like it is positioned with the arm hole and the fulcrum in line. If this is the case, the Trio arm could jam the same way if the screws that hold the arm to the Trio servo arbor came out and the arm got lined up the same way.
negative. the trio is held by 1) a longer center shaft and 2) the cotter pin. What happened here is the servo arm bound up on itself when 2 of the 3 set screws came out. This position wouldn't allow the servo clutch to slip, it was a mechanical binding. If the screws came out and the arm stayed on the center shaft, no problem (on either system), but because of the short shaft and no pin to lock it down, therein lies the issue.
@@therealjimmysworld Did the installer follow steps 11.1 & 11.2 of the IM Appendix A, document 242? Is it the camera angle or is there no "tamper evident" red seal on the servo arm where the screws should be? If not, why not?
Great question. I’m sure the faa will be asking the same thing.
Maybe the set screws should be bolts that get safety wired like a prop
Hey jimmy. I think rescue rebuild needs ur help. Would love to see you help him get the plane running. Love ur videos so seeing u help another would be even better.
Relying on a set screw without a through hole for a machined pin in the assembly for safety wire or cotter pin. Really? How did that get certified?
After doing this research, I wondered the same thing...
It is NOT a "set" screw. There are 3 "assembly screws" , in 3 through holes into the servo bass/hub. NONE were torqued or thread locked as CLEARLY detailed in the instructions.. (!)
@@therealjimmysworld Perhaps your "research" should include wharf a "set screw" is and what it's function is?
@@cavuair4479 just curious how do you know they where not torqued down
I wonder if the doctor that crashed in LA a few days ago had this because he plowed into the houses like he had no control over his plane.
He wasn’t responding to the radio, so people are speculating a stroke or medical issue
I'm not A Pilot But I do ride motorcycles fast. I wouldn't put that auto pilot on my tractor unless I always used the 1st gear only. If you
Had to use it I would put an auto disconnect on it You know drill a hole in the firewall and stick bailing wire Through it..... Please comment.
Just maybe the installer did something wrong Jimmy
Sad panda
I don't see any issues in the pics you posted. No set screws backing out or anything. Your arrow isn't pointing to a defect. Is it point to the area where the defect MAY arise? Also, if nobody has died yet, it's not yet a "fatal flaw", it's a "POTENTIALLY fatal flaw". Your presentation relies on some exaggeration. Not a fan of that but it's till getting the word out. And good job by your buddy maintaining his checklist discipline and finding it before departure.
Thanks for the comment. You are correct. An ounce of prevention is worth a million zillion tons of safety.
Good thing it happened on the ground and not in the air
so true!
I do not understand what this is about
This is about the potential danger of an autopilot installation and design flaw of a general aviation autopilot.
G,day Jimmy's World from Sydney, Australia
Pre- Flight checks
* How would a PIC check the functionality of the auto pilot servo before an airworthiness decision is made?
* concealed in the wing.
* Any NTSB statistics on servo fails in investigations?
🌏🇭🇲
Thanks again for the questions.
- there are standard a/p preflight checks, but nothing that would show this.
Jimmy was this reported to the FAA
Yes, same day of incident
All those students who think checking controls is BS & pointless, watch this.
this cemented in me to check and check and check the controls on every taxi and before takeoff!! sheesh!!!
Not a big fan of Auto pilots either, I like to hand fly small planes,,,,,,,,,However, there should be a way that we are able to override those systems, just like landing gear do have manual pumps
100% agree
By design, an autopilot servo has to be capable of being overridden by the pilot. There is a built-in clutch in the servo that has to give way when a specific amount of input force is applied, and the amount of force required is codified in the CFR. However, when something fails in the way this did, all bets are off.
that's like 737-max fatal
for real!
Well there is the problem; an autopilot on a 172 about as worthless as AC
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
This is such a BS scare tactic video. You must have a stake in Trio. I would have given you a pass if you hadn't put all those crash photos and sensationalized the title. I am a mechanic, I have installed this unit and I find it hard to believe those screws would come out if you followed the directions and used blue locktite and proper torque. Both are good servos, so I am not defending one or the other. Also, if you hadn't bragged about your trio autopilot the video might have been more credible. I am guessing your buddy may have done a midnight hangar install himself without proper oversight. TruTrak is a great autopilot for the money. Videos like this only serve to make professionals think less of you. I think you can do better than scaring the uneducated for no reason.
Thank you for reminding us how important a pre-flight inspection is. I have enjoyed your channel, but I do not like this video. You have intersperse photos of crashes where people have been seriously injured due to causes completely unrelated to the AeroCruze/TruTrack autopilot system as well as photos of unusual attitudes with photos of an incorrectly installed component. The thumbnail of a crashed airplane along with the title is very misleading. There is no "Fatal Flaw". It's a "Potentially Fatal Installation Error". There are many components and systems in my Cherokee where a bad installation can be potentially fatal. Incorrectly torqued cylinder head bolts is just one example.
How much more expensive would it be (at factory) to use a spline and a pin? Set screws are just fucking stupid in that application. They come loose they shear the pressure point fatigues.
They are supposed to shear if the servos were to jam. You don't want a spline or other non-shearable attachment.The center screw keeps the arm attached but does not provide any torque transfer.
@@N91CZ You saying that's a desirable condition?
I am saying the set screws you mentioned are designed to shear. The pilot needs to be able to break these in case the servo internally jams for some reason or won't release electrically. The screw that is supposed to have Loctite simply keeps the arm from sliding off the shaft. It does not transfer shear from the arm to the shaft. Later models extend the shaft and use a lock nut instead of loctite.
@@N91CZ I'm glad I asked.
Not sure why you found it necessary to show a bunch of photos of crashed and burning aircraft.
Cause that’s what would happen if this happened in flight and I want to make sure to express the seriousness of this.
@@therealjimmysworld Understood. I'm figuring most of us that watch your videos know that if your controls lock up the flight is not going to end well. BTW, I was asking for a friend.
affirm
@@therealjimmysworld However , the use of the inflammatory photos that have nothing to do with the incident SERIOUSLY undermine your credibility and the important information contained in your post.
@@cavuair4479 And your failure to take this incident SERIOUSLY calls your judgement into question. An emergency AD would alert others to double check to make sure the installers followed all instructions and that those screws are secured by Loctite. Or don't you care about the safety of others? If that is the case, I hope you only fly a single seat airplane.
What sort of inflammatory photos did you dig up to illustrate this monstrosity of a video? This used to be called 'Yellow Journalism', most of us just call it yellow.
This is my experience and the pilot that had this issue is a good friend and I fly with him all the time. The servo pics are my own. I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
@@therealjimmysworld I used to think that when a jet or turboprop flew over that whining noise came from the engines. Now I'm not so sure. The complainers are probably democrats, so you should remind them there is an "Unsubscribe " button. The manufacturer is not at fault, BUT, if they are prudent they might want to come up with an additional method of securing the part. Otherwise, they could someday wind up in court, and they most probably would win, but the legal costs to defend could also harm the company.
hahahahaha