Pro tip: That old timer's advice on grounding straps saved my bacon yesterday

A retired avionics guy at the hangar told me to always double-check the grounding strap on a G5000 install before power-up, even if it looks fine. I ignored it because I was in a rush, and sure enough the strap was corroded under the insulation, which would have fried the whole panel. Has anyone else found hidden corrosion in places like that, or was I just lucky to catch it after a warning?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony88328d ago

Wait... are you saying the corrosion was hidden under the insulation and you still think grounding straps are the main lesson here? I've seen way more issues from people chasing phantom gremlins than from actual strap failures. The real problem is trusting any visual inspection without pulling the insulation back, period. That old timer's advice is good, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. I've had fresh straps with factory insulation hide cracks you could swing a cat through, so you really gotta physically flex and peel everything back before you call it good.

spencer_wood27d agoTop Commenter

Yeah, you're right about that "swing a cat through" line... that's a good way to put it. I've had straps look perfect on top but be completely rotted underneath, so I get what you're saying. The thing is, though, if you're already gonna peel back all that insulation and flex every inch of the strap, you might as well just replace it while you're in there. That's where the old timer's advice still holds weight for me. It's not about trusting a visual inspection, it's about knowing that once you've gone through the trouble of uncovering it, a new strap is cheap insurance against chasing that same gremlin a week later.