Lancair Columbia 300

[MikeA&P]

Hi, I'm new to the forum my name is Mike and I'm an A&P here in Texas and right now I'm working on a Lancair that is giving me some problems. The flaps are intermittent. Is anyone else having this problem? Has anyone experienced this problem? Right now I'm removing the floor to see what I can find.

 

[TCABM]

You might find more info here: https://www.lancairowners.com/

 

[MikeA&P]

Thank you. It's a paysite tho. I'm the mechanic not the owner. Thanks for info

 

[Doug Reid]

There is a free 1200 page parts manual available for the Cessna Columbia online...not sure if this is what you need.

 

[MikeA&P]

There is a free 1200 page parts manual available for the Cessna Columbia online...not sure if this is what you need.

I have a 784 page parts catalog that my assistant downloaded

 

[FORANE]

Try here:
https://lancairtalk.net/index.php

 

[Jason Jennings]

Our Columbia 400 had flap issues last year. Turned out to be a microswitch on the flap actuator/limit switch assembly.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Our Columbia 400 had flap issues last year. Turned out to be a microswitch on the flap actuator/limit switch assembly.

That there is most likely. The same problem as with other Cessna singles. Spraying oil all over the jackscrew does it. Fouls the limit switches.

 

[steingar]

I hope the owner doesn't know his mechanic is asking a bunch of strangers on the internet how to fix his plane.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

That there is most likely. The same problem as with other Cessna singles. Spraying oil all over the jackscrew does it. Fouls the limit switches.

I had this exact issue. First mechanic replaced a limit switch. Then I tripped a flap breaker next flight. He tried to readjust it for me, then I had the same problem. Took it to a 30+ year Cessna expert (now retired) and been fine ever since.

 

[Dan Thomas]

I hope the owner doesn't know his mechanic is asking a bunch of strangers on the internet how to fix his plane.

Electrical troubleshooting is easily the skill most lacking among mechanics. For some reason, electricity is too hard to understand or something and they somehow get past the certification requirements for the ticket. At least here in Canada formal training is required for the license; apprenticeship alone doesn't cut it. Training in electrical stuff is mandatory. And an apprentice has to record the tasks he does, including troubleshooting, and has to show that he has done at least 70% of the tasks relevant to the category of license. Performing the task means he has to do it himself, with no help from anyone else.

There were more of my age group familiar with it. If you didn't know it, you paid a lot for someone who did. Cars, appliances, house wiring, small engines. In high school I was fixing radios and TVs. If you weren't rich you often did it yourself. Not many younger folks ever get such an education anymore, largely because stuff doesn't fail as often as it did, and when it does it's cheaper to buy a new one. Today's TVs and radios are pretty much impossible to fix anyway. Newer avionics have gone the same way.

 

[Jdm]

I hope the owner doesn't know his mechanic is asking a bunch of strangers on the internet how to fix his plane.

Some of the best A&P’s in the world are trained to reach out for assistance. Just like a pilot is trained to reach out in the form of crew resource management. Mechanics at the finest operators are encouraged to seek assistance as appropriate. I was an A&P for a number of quality outfits that believed in this practice. He’s probably limited on resources and therefore reaching out to a large community for feedback. I admire that. I certainly wouldn’t assume any lack of electrical skills just because someone asks a question! We had some of the finest electrical training of any outfit that I know of and we still consulted with one another. The customer would be better off If more mechanics would take the initiative to reach out and troubleshoot. This sounds to me like a mechanic trying to go the extra mile to ensure he’s tackling a problem with as much information as possible. He’ll probably discard the nonsense responses and hopefully will take home a couple of good troubleshooting tips. It’s the opposite type of mechanic that concerns me!

 

[Albany Tom]

Some of the best A&P’s in the world are trained reach out for assistance.

That sounds right to me. In IT, the highly experienced techs are the ones most likely to ask a question or two, or do some online research, to potentially save a lot of time and get a better solution. Otherwise, you're potentially spending time trying to diagnose things that may have low likelihood of being the problem, just because you're letting your ego get in the way of being productive.

If I were the owner, I'd appreciate a mechanic spending 10 minutes to do some research, rather than spending an hour or more going down some rabbit hole. Especially with an intermittent problem.

 

[Dan Thomas]

If I were the owner, I'd appreciate a mechanic spending 10 minutes to do some research, rather than spending an hour or more going down some rabbit hole. Especially with an intermittent problem.

Some just start replacing parts until the problem goes away. That gets really expensive.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Before I was in aviation full time, I was the main technical guy and foreman in an air brake component remanufacturing plant. There were always a few parts that came back on warranty claims as being "defective." 98% of the time they were fine and the problem was a lack of skill in troubleshooting. We saved a lot of time and money by printing up thousands of fluorescent red cards that said something like "Got a problem? Call 1-800-xxx-xxxx." and stuck one in each box. And I got calls from heavy equipment mechanics asking why that new part did the same thing the old one did. I'd ask a couple of questions to zero in on the malfunction, and tell him what to do. And only once or twice out of hundreds of calls did I get another call thanking me. The rest, I presume, were solved. The number of warranty claims fell right off.

Cessna has a technical help line, too.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Yeah, but calling for help is like asking for directions (pre-GPS) or asking which aisle the doomaflatchy is in at the hardware store. It’s the smart thing to do...like reading directions, lol.

 

[JAWS]

I figure the owner of the aircraft I look after spent millions of dollars on them, including tech support. I never hesitate to call, know them by name.

 

[AKBill]

Some just start replacing parts until the problem goes away. That gets really expensive.

It is rare for someone to know everything. Time and experience helps a lot. A good mechanic that is unsure of how to determine the best way to troubleshoot will asks questions. But the same person should always educate themselves as much as they can by researching and becoming familiar with the system

 

[Jdm]

I figure the owner of the aircraft I look after spent millions of dollars on them, including tech support. I never hesitate to call, know them by name.

Yep. It’s very common, and at many places it’s expected. I’ve done this in corporate, and at the airlines. Internet forums can be an equally valuable resource for sampling, or probing for feedback. I’ve used this forum many times looking for feedback on new products, or techniques to help with a job that’s unique. I’ve received excellent advice from a few other A&Ps on this site. One sent me a great resource for corrosion control practices. Sure, I know how to treat corrosion, but it was a unique job to my background and I wanted to explore all options before jumping into it. A good A&P knows when to ask questions. The ones that tackle jobs without proper research or guidance are the ones to stay far away from.