Loading…

That LRU swap that turned into a 4 hour nightmare over one connector pin | Avionics Technicians - Opinions Matter

That LRU swap that turned into a 4 hour nightmare over one connector pin

I was working a comms issue on a King Air out of Van Nuys last month and figured it was a bad VHF radio unit. Pulled the old one, slapped a fresh LRU in, and the problem was still there. Wasted a good hour double checking power and ground before I finally broke out the pin extraction tool. Found a single pin in the backshell connector where the retaining clip had collapsed on the last guy's install. It looked fine visually but had no actual contact. Another 45 minutes to extract, replace, and verify that stupid pin. Four hours total for what should've been a 30 minute swap. Has anyone else seen these mil-spec connectors fail internally like that? I'm starting to carry spare contact pins in my tool bag.

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewkim5mo ago

Van Nuys, huh? I've had almost the same thing happen on a Baron 58 out of Santa Monica, wasted three hours on a nav com until I found a bent pin in the D-sub. I started carrying a cheap 10x loupe and a pin removal kit in my go bag after that, makes the initial inspection take maybe 5 minutes but saves the headache. Now I treat every connector like it's already failed until I've proved the pins are good.

holly_henderson863mo ago

... wait, you actually carry spare contact pins? Like just loose pins rattling around in your bag? Man, I've been doing this ten years and it never once crossed my mind to stockpile those things. I feel like an idiot now.

kelly_nelson955mo ago

Started bringing a magnifying headset and a set of spare contacts after getting burned the same way on a Cessna 172 radio. Now I just pop the backshell and inspect every pin before I even install the new LRU, saves me from going back and pulling the panel again.