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Skip -
The left wing root seal was replaced on my Extra back in
August, and on the first post-maintenance X-C flight I got CO poisoning after a
long steep climb.
Aircraft cabins
typically have lower-than-ambient air pressure, low
airspeed tightens the prop wash spiral, and a high angle of attack
obviously increases the air pressure under the wing. So my theory is that
the prop wash was throwing exhaust gasses under the left wing, which then flowed
easily from that high pressure area into the cabin via gaps in the new wing root
seal. It was not installed flush to the wing, so the fix was simple:
silicone caulk in the gaps.
So focus on any openings in the belly, the
underside of the left wing, and the left wing root.
DJ Molny
Extra 300L
P.S.: Here's a picture of the ruined monoxide detector card
-- the circle area was nearly black right after the
incident.
I wonder is anyone has a suggestion on dealing with
a problem I have with my exhaust:
At low airspeeds or sometimes in the climb, I have
a small amount of exhaust getting into my cabin. I can often smell it and
occasionally it sets off my panel mounted CO detector until I deflate my door
seal and ventilate the cabin for a couple of minutes. I've done my best to
seal every place where control rods go outside the cabin and even went so far as
to have a whole new exhaust made when we found leaks in the slip joints of the
old one. I've also caulked every known hole in the firewall with high temp
RTV.
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with
this or any ideas on how to trace where this stuff is getting into the
cabin. I'm stumped.
Skip Slater
N540ES
monoxide.JPG
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