Flap circuit breaker failure

My flaps failed to retract after takeoff. The circuit breaker was pooped and would not reset. After landing the breaker would not reset even when all power was turned off. I think that indicates I have a bad breaker. Did the breaker fail by itself or do I also have a problem in the flap mechanism?

In response to:
“The circuit breaker was pooped and would not reset.”

Art,
I believe your right that the circuit breaker is bad and there might be something wrong with the flap mech. From experience, I have seen circuit breakers fail if excessive current were allowed to flow through it several times. Over time it would get “pooped” and could not be reset.
After replancing the Circuit Breaker, you might check with CD to find out what the normal current is during flap operation and check your ammeter or I’m sure that Mike R. has a picture of the ammeter during flap operation. :wink:

Walt
Walt

Arthur,

I posted on 7/17/2002 the same problem, because I had exactly the same experience as you have. There were 769 hits on this subject and in relating to the few replies, no one seem to have this kind of problems. That makes me very happy, because it is an incident that only hits me???

So, in relating to the answer of the public forum there are no flap problems with the Cirrus, but why do I find these questions again?

I don’t think you may expect a good advise from this forum, when I read the replies on your question about this serious matter, you get some remarks have nothing to do with this fact.

In common I expected this forum reacting more serious, but it seems to me it’s more an ordinary chat box. Nothing miss with it, but it could be a better place.

In a few weeks I hope to tell you more about my experience with the flaps. Our Cirrus is last friday brought to the Netherlands through a ferry company.

So this week we can start flying with her.

I will keep the forum informed about our flap experience.

with friendly regards,

Henk Oudshoorn
Netherlands

Art,
If the ‘limit switch’ for the ‘up’ (or even the down for that matter) postion is malfunctioning…this will cause the ‘motor’ to keep running because the motor doesn’t know where up is…after a minute or two…it overheats and pops the breaker. This will also cause a mild thumping sound below the floor and other problems.
I’d start with the breaker but understand…breakers seldom go bad.
I have my share of experience in this regard.
TC

I just got my SR22 last weekend. During training, I had one episode where the flaps wouldn’t go down and I believe the radio transmitter was in use at the time but I am not 100% certain. Two days ago I went to use the plane and during preflight the flaps didn’t go down all the way. Unfortunately, I didn’t watch the whole step so I don’t know if I changed direction on the flaps before they were all the way down or what. The fuse was tripped and resetting it didn’t work. I was told at Cirrus last week that the flap problem was supposedly fixed, but it obviously hasn’t been. Apparently the relays have switches that can melt open or closed. I’m not an EE but this seems flawed to me. Today, I flew the plane to DPA 20 miles where the service center is with flaps about 10-20%. Startup was fine but the avidyne had a mic stuck message showing. I checked with ground and other planes on the field and I wasn’t transmitting and everything was fine. As soon as I took off, my Garmin flashed “stormscope failed”. I listened to the ATIS at DPA and then tried transmitting on 2. I didn’t get a response and was a big flustered so switched to 1 and was able to transmit, but it seemed that I was getting more static than usual. I was thinking " maybe the radios are OK and I’m just getting paranoid", but remember it’s only a 10 minute flight. Dupage asks me to ident and I realize that I was still squaking 5100, the standard PWK departure squak, so I switch to 1200 and ident. She says to ident again and I comply, She says she doesn’t get the ident. By then I was running out of paper so I asked for the longest runway 20R, with the flaps stuck almost up I decided things weren’t going my way.

I’ll try to stay upbeat, but I’m a bit worried. Hopefully, these things will get worked out easily. Other than that, I have been entirely pleased with the plane and it is a beauty to fly.

In reply to:


I’m sure that Mike R. has a picture of the ammeter during flap operation. :wink:


Walt,

You weren’t specific… did you want one of the ammeter during flap extension or retraction? From up to 50%? To 100%? The other way?

Since the forum lets us post only one photo, I chose one taken during flap retraction on a cloudy day with the wind coming from the south… [;)]

Mike.

Gonna have to change your name to Mike Resourceful! BTW have a great weekend at ACK! I’m jealous because we love Nantucket, but on the other hand flying weather here in Prescott AZ is 24/365, (as long as you factor in mountain flying concerns)

It’s like changing Scott’s saying to “Some pilots are weather-wise, others live in AZ”

Now we just have to find a great island to fly to on the left coast!

Walt

In reply to:


BTW have a great weekend at ACK! I’m jealous because we love Nantucket, but on the other hand flying weather here in Prescott AZ is 24/365, (as long as you factor in mountain flying concerns)


Walt,

Thanks. Actually, if I could trade you, I would gladly give up my Nantucket weekend to be able to live in AZ. But my wife won’t hear of it… she LIKES it in NJ. Go figure…

Mike.

Now we just have to find a great island to fly to on the left coast!

Walt,

How about a http://www.catalina.com/airport.htmlCatalina Island fly-in?

Cheers,
Roger

http://www.aviationposters.com/cs36.htm

Walt,

Was in PRC this am for the breakfast club flyin. Saw your plane on the back row of the ramp. Nice to see a Cirrus gracing the Prescott ramp :wink:

Sorry, it was kind of last minite or I would have called.

Roger
N706CD

Roger,

Count us in! Some business trips comiing up will make the dates difficult but it sounds like a great place to visit. Are you volunteering to set it up?

Take care,

Walt

Hi Roger,

Yea, would have liked to join the breakfast fly-in or in my case drive-in!

Even though I’m number 180 on the list for a hangar at PRC, (down from #250 3 years ago) there’s a very good chance I might get room in one of the maintenance facilities with my own sliding door. At least I’ll get N224AZ out of the sun (and God-forbid hail) and into some shelter.

What do you think of the Catalina Island Fly-In?

Walt

Walt,

Schedule permitting, Catalina would be a fun fun trip. I would be up for it. Glad you might be getting your 22 indoors. See this website for AZ Breakfast Club flyins. www.public.asu.edu/~idwlm/bc_index.html

That is the same group we went to Winslow with.

Roger
N706CD

Roger,

Thanks. I know you gave me this website a while back (a year?), but between settling down, etc. I lost it (the WEB Site). With N224AZ we’ll be more active in this club. (Rose-Marie refused to fly in an Archer while we were waiting for the 22!)

I know are schedules are tough, but we’ll keep working on the CI thingy!

Walt

In reply to:


In common I expected this forum reacting more serious, but it seems to me it’s more an ordinary chat box. Nothing miss with it, but it could be a better place.


I think the explanation for what you’re seeing is that nearly all the “serious” discussion now takes place in the “Members Forum.” I think you would notice a distinct difference in tone there. This requires the $50 COPA membership fee, but in aviation terms that is a small investment for the benefits. (I have no connection with COPA other than having paid the membership fee myself.)

Henk, let me second Jim Fallows comments. Please join COPA. Postings on the COPA forums are quite different between the Public and Members forums. If you have not read the Members forum, then you are missing some of the best information – and some of the best humor and advice from COPA members.

I reread all of the replies to your posting about your flap relay problem and the recent thread about Art’s flap problems. Your posting got the helpful answers that I believe represents the experience of most Cirrus owners – few problems. However, some people have had many electrical problems. Art is one of the owners who reports the most problems but there are also a few other troubled Cirrus planes. On the Members forum, there have been several informative threads about electrical engineering topics related to flap relay problems, communication problems, antenna problems, ground power solutions, and other avionics issues. Perhaps you will find these more helpful to understand your plane and its problems.

As for the more serious content, if you read the Members forum, you will see a wider range of responses than on the Public forum. First, there are many more postings. Second, there is a different sense of community on the Members forum – people know more people there – and so there are many more friendly exchanges among COPA members who want to get together and share their experiences in person. And of course, after many postings some people develop a reputation for seeing the “glass half empty” and lots of problems while others see the “glass half full” and lots of opportunities. So, replies are sometimes in response to who posts the problem. However, in general, my experience of the COPA community provides excellent understanding, support, humor and advice, such that I read the COPA forums every day.

Wish there was an easier way to organize a COPA fly-in to the Netherlands. Perhaps some adventuresome owners would enjoy flying together on a ferry route to Europe!

And best of luck in flying your Cirrus in Europe. I hope you will join COPA and share your experiences in the Members forum.

Cheers
Rick

Jim,

This is a good advice.

with friendly regards,

Henk Oudshoorn

Rick,

Thanks for your reply, your opinion is very clear and I pick up your advice to and will join COPA.

regards,

Henk Oudshoorn

Welcome! Now about that European fly-in . . .

Cheers
Rick

I hope you have better luck than I did trying to get them fixed. With only 2 service centers in the surrounding 3 states the earliest I could get an appointment was 3 weeks away. So with the flaps stuck at 50% the plane is grounded until it can be ferried for service.