DGCA CPL Technical General case studies
DGCA CPL Technical General · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The DGCA CPL Technical General paper is one of the written ground examinations a candidate must clear on the route to a Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India. It is a technical, aircraft-systems paper rather than a regulations or meteorology paper: it tests whether the candidate actually understands how the aeroplane is built and how its systems behave, which is the knowledge a commercial pilot is expected to carry into the cockpit and into dealings with maintenance and dispatch. The DGCA CPL Technical General case studies are 5 cases and about 2,845 words.
1Cabin Differential Falling While the Outflow Valve Says CLOSED
A twin-turboprop commuter aircraft with a maximum cabin differential of 7.8 psi is climbing through FL200 with 19 passengers on board. The cabin altimeter reads 8,200 ft and is rising at about 700 fpm; the cabin vertical speed indicator agrees.
612 words, about 3 min2One Cylinder Hot and Lean in Cruise
A turbocharged, fuel-injected six-cylinder engine in a single-engine aircraft is cruising at 11,500 ft: 29 in Hg, 2,300 rpm, about 65% power, mixture set 30 °F lean of peak on the #3 cylinder. Ten minutes after leaning, the #3 CHT climbs from 195 °C to 232 °C and is still rising about 1 °C per minute; the other five sit between 185 °C and 192 °C.
587 words, about 3 min3Three Instruments Disagree in IMC
You are flying a non-pressurised light twin in IMC, climbing to 11,000 ft. At 9,000 ft you notice the airspeed indicator has been slowly unwinding - it now reads 78 kt against a normal 105 kt for this power and attitude - while the altimeter has stopped at 9,020 ft and the VSI reads exactly zero.
573 words, about 3 min4Alternator Overvoltage at Night in IMC
Night, IMC, single-engine aircraft on a 28 V DC system with a 70 A alternator, a 24 V 33 Ah sealed lead-acid battery, and an overvoltage protection module that trips the alternator field at about 32 V. In level flight the overvoltage warning illuminates, the ammeter swings to −22 A and the battery bus sits at 23.6 V and falls about 0.2 V every 10 minutes.
523 words, about 3 min5Corrosion and a Loose Rivet at the 100-Hour
During a 100-hour inspection on a 1979 two-seat trainer with 11,400 hours total time, an inspection panel in the left wing rear spar bay reveals white powdery deposits and flaking between the aluminium spar cap flange and the skin. After cleaning to bright metal, pitting on the 1.2 mm 2024-T3 flange measures 0.18 mm deep.
550 words, about 3 min