That time a rat chewed through my harness in Phoenix and I didn't notice

I was doing a preflight on a Cessna 172 at a small field near Phoenix last summer when someone pointed out a nest under the cowling, and I laughed it off. Two days later, I found a chewed wire bundle that shorted the nav lights during a test run, and my lead said I should've checked for critters first. Has anyone else had a rodent stash something weird in their plane that caused a headache?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.blair10d ago

Oh man, pecan shells everywhere. Found a stash in an engine baffle once. Took hours to clean out. Lesson learned: always pop the cowling before you walk away. Make it a habit. Especially anywhere warm like Phoenix.

the_sage10d agoProlific Poster

I still remember finding a full nest of acorn bits crammed inside a baffle seal on a Cessna 172 in Tucson. Took me nearly a week to track down a persistent oil temp issue until I finally pulled the cowling and saw the mess. You learn real quick to check those tight spots after a few hours with a shop vac and a dental pick.