Service Bulletin 29 Released

[v.schmidt]

Service Bulletin 00029 applies to the CC11-100 Sport Cub and CC11-160 Carbon Cub models S/N 00001-00263. SB00029 relates to the fuel system installed on these airframes.

Cub Crafters, Inc. has determined that there is potential for a low spot to form in the left aft fuel line where condensation could collect below the rear corner of the left side window. This service bulletin provides instructions for retrofitting aircraft to include an additional fuel drain to avoid the potential of water collecting in the line.

Compliance with Part A is required prior to next flight and until Part B is complied with. Part B compliance is recommended at next 100 hour inspection. Continued inspections are required at each annual condition inspection.

If you have any questions, please contact Cub Crafters Customer Support at (509) 248-9491 orsupport@cubcrafters.com.

Victoria Schmidt
Technical Publications Manager
Cub Crafters, Inc.

[cityrancher]

Just read through the SB. Do you have a time estimate to comply with this? It looks like a real time consumer.

[v.schmidt]

There are two parts to fulfilling compliance.

Until the new fuel drain is installed, 16 oz of fuel must be drained from each fuel drain prior to flight to verify that no water is in the fuel system. While this seems like a lot of fuel, this is the amount decided per the Director of Engineering. Please note that this procedure ONLY needs to be performed when water is suspect to be in the fuel system (see Part A of the SB).

The new fuel drain must be installed within 100 hours or at the next annual inspection, whichever occurs first.

Unfortunately we do not have an estimate for how long this installation will take.

Regards,
Victoria Schmidt
Technical Publications Manager
Cub Crafters, Inc.

[cityrancher]

Victoria,
I understand the two parts. What I want to know is how long it took your shop to comply with Part B. It seems redundant to perform Part B if as you say no water is found or suspected after complying with part A.

[Jon Delamarter]

Your question regarding time is understandable. I installed the test article here on our Sport Cub. However, it took quite awhile as we were tweaking the process and actually writing and rewriting the service document concurrent with doing the work. My best guesstimate is that a mechanic familiar with the aircraft might be able to accomplish the work in 8 hours, perhaps a bit more or less. Please don't hold your A&P to this figure.

Victoria,
I understand the two parts. What I want to know is how long it took your shop to comply with Part B. It seems redundant to perform Part B if as you say no water is found or suspected after complying with part A.

[cityrancher]

Thanks for the reply Jon. Do you have actual instances of this area accumulating water and causing a failure in flight?

[Dan L]

It looks like this Service Bulletin applies to the EX too?

Is there a mechanism for notifying owners other than by chance seeing it here?

Availability and Cost for parts?

[v.schmidt]

Dan-

We are in the process of printing and mailing out the Service Bulletin for the effected EX owners. Those should be out by the end of the week.

The pricing of the parts kits is being finalized and will be posted to the parts store shortly.

Regards,
Victoria Schmidt
Technical Publications Manager
Cub Crafters, Inc.

[Jon Delamarter]

No sir. As stated in the Purpose paragraph of the SB, "While there have been no reports of incident, Cub Crafters, Inc. has determined that there is potential..."

Thanks for the reply Jon. Do you have actual instances of this area accumulating water and causing a failure in flight?

[cityrancher]

Ok, I have ordered the kit. I must comment that after flying my aircraft for many years, I have never had a drop of water in any samples. I can see the "possibility" of water in an unmonitored situation. I hope the engineers understand the difficulty of this install, especially in older double stick taped panels. When I flew helicopters commercially, there was a turbine fuel controller AD/ recall due to one ship having fuel starvation on a Bendix controller. After the recall there were several accidents due to improper reinstallation of all the recalled fuel controllers. It seems these controllers are difficult to bleed. Likely the cause of the original failure. I mention this because this cure (SB29) may not be warranted. These SB's are becoming an annual occurrence.