A PIPER PA46-350P OWNER HAD A NEW MODEL'S DIMMING SWITCH INSTALLED BY HIS MAINT ORGANIZATION. UNFORTUNATELY; THE MAINT PERSONNEL AND THEIR SUPPLIER OBTAINED THE WRONG SWITCH AND IT STARTED TO SMOKE DURING THE NEXT FLT.

Narrative

THE ACFT IS A 1998 MODEL DELIVERED TO ME IN AUG/98. THE COPLT LIGHT SWITCH IS ON A RHEOSTAT AND HAD BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT GO COMPLETELY OFF. THE NEW SWITCH WOULD NOT GO OFF EITHER AND MY A&P SAID THAT THIS WAS THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK. THE SWITCH BECAME EXTREMELY HOT; BEGAN TO SMOKE. I ISOLATED THE SWITCH BY PULLING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CONTINUED THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE FOUND THE ORIGINAL SWITCH'S OPERATIONAL DESIGN ANNOYING; SO HE REQUESTED THE MAINT ORGANIZATION TO CHK IT TO SEE IF THE SWITCH WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THEY CONFIRMED WITH THE FACTORY THAT THE SWITCH WAS NEVER INTENDED TO TURN THE LIGHTS COMPLETELY OFF AND THAT THE ORIGINAL SWITCH WAS THE CORRECT PART NUMBER. THE MAINT PERSONNEL WERE TOLD THAT NEWER MODEL PA46'S HAVE A NEW SWITCH THAT ALLOWS THE LIGHTS TO BE TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. AFTER CHKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER; THE MAINT ORGANIZATION ORDERED THE NEW SWITCH. THE NEW SWITCH WAS INSTALLED AND APPEARED TO WORK JUST LIKE THE OLD SWITCH. THE RPTR WAS DISSATISFIED; BUT WAS REQUIRED TO USE THE ACFT ON A BUSINESS TRIP SO THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH WAS LEFT IN PLACE. DURING THIS FLT THE SWITCH BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE PLT PULLED THE LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKER AND DECLARED AN EMER. HE LATER RESCINDED THE EMER WHEN THE SMOKE DISSIPATED. THE MAINT ORGANIZATION HAD INSTALLED THE WRONG SWITCH. THE MAINT ORGANIZATION; THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE; A LCL PARTS SUPPLIER AND THE PLT HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE ORDERING OF THE NEW SWITCH; YET THE WRONG SWITCH HAD BEEN DELIVERED AND INSTALLED. THE PLT BLAMED THE MANUFACTURER'S PARTS BOOK FOR THE ERROR. HE SAID THAT IT IS CONFUSING TO THE USERS BECAUSE THE PICTURES AND THE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE MANUAL SEEM TO; AT TIMES; CONFLICT AND EVEN WITH ALL OF THIS EXPERT ASSISTANCE; THE WRONG PART WAS INSTALLED. THE NEW; CORRECT PART IS NOW INSTALLED AND IT WORKS TO THE RPTR'S SATISFACTION.