A C337G SEVERAL FLT HRS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM ANNUAL INSPECTION THE PLT RPTED FUEL STARVATION AND LNDG GEAR PROBS.

Narrative

AFTER COMPLETING AN EXTENSIVE ANNUAL INSPECTION; DATED JAN/SUN/05; OF A C337G; THE SUBJECT ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. AFTER SEVERAL LCL FLTS; ONE OF WHICH WAS SEVERAL HRS LONG; THE ACFT WAS DEEMED READY TO RETURN TO ITS BASE IN CANADA. UPON ARR AT ITS FINAL DEST; THE PLT RPTED BACK TO US THAT HE HAD AN ENG FAILURE INFLT AND THE LNDG GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENED 3 TIMES INFLT. UPON INSPECTION BY A LCL MECH; THE R WING FUEL VENT WAS BLOCKED WITH DRIED MUD. 2 FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND RUPTURED DUE TO NEGATIVE PRESSURE. FURTHERMORE; THE HYD MOTOR WAS FOUND TO BE 'BURNT' AND THE MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER NORMALLY RATED AT 30 AMPS DIDN'T TRIP UNTIL 70 AMPS. THE P-LEAD ON 1 REAR ENG MAGNETO WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN. ON THE FIRST DISCREPANCY; THE PLT POINTED OUT THAT A TUBE EXTENDING FROM THE R WINGTIP WAS COMPLETELY BLOCKED WITH FOREIGN MATERIAL. I MADE A MENTAL NOTE TO INVESTIGATE THE FUNCTION OF THE SUBJECT TUBE. I HAD PREVIOUSLY CHKED FOR BLOCKAGE IN A SMALLER TUBE UNDER THE SAME WING AND INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT WAS THE FUEL VENT TUBE. I ALSO LOOKED AT ANOTHER C337 OF A DIFFERENT YR AND DID NOT SEE A TUBE EXTENDING FROM EITHER WINGTIP; SO I INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THE TUBE IN THE SUBJECT ACFT WAS LEFT OVER FROM A PREVIOUS MODIFICATION. ABOUT THIS SAME TIME; SEVERAL OTHER DISCREPANCIES SURFACED THAT DELAYED THE PLT FROM TAKING THE ACFT AT THE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED TIME AND I SIMPLY FORGOT TO RESEARCH THE REASON FOR THE TUBE PROTRUDING FROM THE WINGTIP. ON THE SECOND DISCREPANCY; THE INSPECTION CHKLIST REQUIRES JACKING THE ACFT AND RETRACTING AND EXTENDING THE GEAR AT LEAST 5 TIMES AND TIMING THE CYCLES. THE CESSNA MANUAL LIMIT WAS 12-16 SECONDS. I RECORDED CYCLE TIMES OF 12-13 SECONDS ON GEAR DOWN CYCLE; AND 15-16 SECONDS ON GEAR UP CYCLE TIMES. THEREFORE; IN ADDITION TO CHKING FOR LEAKS; LOOSENESS; INTERFERENCE; ETC; I DETERMINED THE GEAR SYS WAS AIRWORTHY. ON THE THIRD DISCREPANCY; I CHKED THE ENG TIMING ON THE REAR ENG AND REINSTALLED THE P-LEAD AS WELL AS CHKED THE IGNITION SWITCH GNDING DURING AT LEAST 1 ENG RUN-UP AND WAS FOUND AIRWORTHY.