Narrative:

We installed a tip tank kit in a customer's beechcraft F33A that was ordered under serial number, model number and yr of manufacture. All components were installed as per the stc and manufacturer's installation instructions. Once installed, the system was filled to capacity and tested for function, leaks and fuel gauge accuracy. The system worked as it should, and the appropriate logbook entries and 337 were completed. On apr/wed/95, the owner contacted me to inform me that the fuel gauge had failed, causing a burned electrical smell in the cockpit. I immediately called the manufacturer of the auxiliary fuel tank system and was informed that the voltage of the aircraft in question cannot be determined by the serial number and date of manufacture. I was also told that none of the components were marked as to indicate voltage, and the only voltage markings supplied in the kit were hand- applied to the plastic shipping wrappers. We had not taken notice of these markings when unpacking the kit, and assumed that since we had ordered the kit by make, model and serial number, that it was the correct voltage for the F33A in question. Realizing that we had installed a 14 volt kit in a 28 volt airplane, I immediately ordered new 28 volt components to convert the system, and called the customer to have her return the aircraft to our facility at our expense for immediate replacement of the components at our expense. I also made sure that she disable the system and marked it inoperative prior to her flight back to our facility. On apr/wed/95, we replaced all components mentioned above, inspected the entire auxiliary fuel system, filled it to capacity, and function checked the entire system. Having found everything to be in proper order, I made the appropriate logbook entries, and returned the aircraft to service. In retrospect, I realize that we should have double-checked the voltage of the aircraft, and further verified the voltage of the components received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TIP TANK KIT INSTALLED WITH WRONG VOLTAGE -- 14 VOLT VERSES 28 VOLT. ACFT FUEL EQUIPMENT PROB.

Narrative: WE INSTALLED A TIP TANK KIT IN A CUSTOMER'S BEECHCRAFT F33A THAT WAS ORDERED UNDER SERIAL NUMBER, MODEL NUMBER AND YR OF MANUFACTURE. ALL COMPONENTS WERE INSTALLED AS PER THE STC AND MANUFACTURER'S INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. ONCE INSTALLED, THE SYS WAS FILLED TO CAPACITY AND TESTED FOR FUNCTION, LEAKS AND FUEL GAUGE ACCURACY. THE SYS WORKED AS IT SHOULD, AND THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES AND 337 WERE COMPLETED. ON APR/WED/95, THE OWNER CONTACTED ME TO INFORM ME THAT THE FUEL GAUGE HAD FAILED, CAUSING A BURNED ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE COCKPIT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AUX FUEL TANK SYS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VOLTAGE OF THE ACFT IN QUESTION CANNOT BE DETERMINED BY THE SERIAL NUMBER AND DATE OF MANUFACTURE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT NONE OF THE COMPONENTS WERE MARKED AS TO INDICATE VOLTAGE, AND THE ONLY VOLTAGE MARKINGS SUPPLIED IN THE KIT WERE HAND- APPLIED TO THE PLASTIC SHIPPING WRAPPERS. WE HAD NOT TAKEN NOTICE OF THESE MARKINGS WHEN UNPACKING THE KIT, AND ASSUMED THAT SINCE WE HAD ORDERED THE KIT BY MAKE, MODEL AND SERIAL NUMBER, THAT IT WAS THE CORRECT VOLTAGE FOR THE F33A IN QUESTION. REALIZING THAT WE HAD INSTALLED A 14 VOLT KIT IN A 28 VOLT AIRPLANE, I IMMEDIATELY ORDERED NEW 28 VOLT COMPONENTS TO CONVERT THE SYS, AND CALLED THE CUSTOMER TO HAVE HER RETURN THE ACFT TO OUR FACILITY AT OUR EXPENSE FOR IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPONENTS AT OUR EXPENSE. I ALSO MADE SURE THAT SHE DISABLE THE SYS AND MARKED IT INOP PRIOR TO HER FLT BACK TO OUR FACILITY. ON APR/WED/95, WE REPLACED ALL COMPONENTS MENTIONED ABOVE, INSPECTED THE ENTIRE AUX FUEL SYS, FILLED IT TO CAPACITY, AND FUNCTION CHKED THE ENTIRE SYS. HAVING FOUND EVERYTHING TO BE IN PROPER ORDER, I MADE THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES, AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC. IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE-CHKED THE VOLTAGE OF THE ACFT, AND FURTHER VERIFIED THE VOLTAGE OF THE COMPONENTS RECEIVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.