40,000 feet and a bad solder joint on the ADC

Mid-flight over Denver last Tuesday, the airspeed readout went haywire on the captain's side, and I traced it to a cracked joint on the ADC connector that must've been fatigued for months. I had to reflow it in the galley with a cheap iron while we were still climbing, and it held up fine for the rest of the trip. Anyone else ever done a hot rework in a pressurized cabin, or am I the only one dumb enough to try it?

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sarah_hart6d ago

Galley rework at 40,000 feet beats the alternative of landing with no airspeed reading, but that cheap iron might've been the real gamble. Tinning the tip with solder paste before you start makes a huge difference on a reflow like that, keeps the heat where it needs to go.