Saw something wild at the Burbank hangar yesterday

I was down at the Burbank airport picking up a part and walked past a Gulfstream that had bare wires taped up near the nose cone. Not just a little tape, like a whole wad of electrical tape hiding cracked insulation. Looked like someone had been in a hurry and just covered it up instead of replacing the harness. I pointed it out to the lead mechanic and he said it's more common than people think on older corporate jets. Made me double check my own work on the King Air I'm doing this week. Anyone else run into messy fixes on private planes?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_martinez9d ago

Honestly, that tape job sounds like something I'd see on a 70s Cessna, not a Gulfstream. @troythompson, you're right to rethink those quick fixes. I've seen mechanics use tape on a crack and call it a day, but that stuff degrades fast in a hot hangar or at altitude. A loose wire can arc and cause a fire, especially if it's near fuel or hydraulic lines. Better to take the time to splice it right or replace the whole harness.

troythompson9d ago

That line about "looked like someone had been in a hurry and just covered it up" really hit home for me... I used to think those quick tape jobs were just part of the job on older planes, no big deal. But seeing you describe that bare wire mess made me realize how easy it is to let little fixes slide until they cause a real problem. I always figured if the tape held and the insulation looked solid, it was fine. Now I'm thinking twice about a few spots on a Cessna I helped with last month... might have to go back and redo them properly.