PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-581
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 581
APRIL 2001
rew chiefs and mechanics, if you forget the quick release pins after you close your
topside engine access doors, your Apache could sprout wings during flight.
Sure, the doors have latches, but the pins secure them.
Flying an aircraft with loose doors can break hinges, mounting hardware, latches
and shims. That damage could work the latches loose and let the doors open. That
could cause major structural and engine damage.
So, when you’re on the catwalk and finish an inspection or doing other mainte-
nance on your bird, put the pins back where they belong and secure the doors.
PS 581
APR 01
38
lack Hawk electricians and mechanics, easy does it when you troubleshoot a
bird’s engine fire extinguisher system, or replace expired containers or cartridges.
Otherwise, you could discharge the whole system.
If that happens, you’ll not only have a mess to clean up, you could injure your-
self and damage the extinguisher system.
When you change the containers or cartridges, don’t skip any steps and follow
all
of the WARNINGS and CAUTIONS in Paras 12-4-1 and 12-4-2 of TM 1-1520-237-
23-7.
You must:
➡
Turn off aircraft electrical power to
lessen the possibility of accidentally dis-
charging the cartridge.
➡
Always connect the shorting jumper
to the container cartridge terminals
before removing the container’s wires or
you could detonate the system or injure
yourself.
When you do the continuity checks in
Para 12-2-2 of TM 1-1520-237-23,
make sure you:
➡
Disconnect the battery behind the
pilot seat before you test or trou-
bleshoot. Even with aircraft power
turned off, the battery has enough resid-
ual power to detonate the system.
➡
Keep the multimeter leads away from
the fire extinguisher cartridge terminals.
Even the small amount of multimeter
voltage can set off the cartridges.
➡
Keep the cartridges’ eight wire termi-
nals inside their rubber boots. If the
wires hit the airframe, static electricity
could ignite the cartridges.
➡
Always ground the containers or the
cartridges when you change them.
Always disconnect and
reconnect battery as
required by trouble-
shooting procedures
AH-64A/D…
Always use quick release
pins when you close doors
Keep wire
terminals
covered
UH-60…
Latches hold the doors, but
quick release pins secure them
PS 581
APR 01
39
581. 38-39 (C)
2/26/01
4:50 PM
Page 1
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