Incident Details
A pilot reported an engine failure and total power loss shortly after leveling off at 7,000 feet during an evening flight. The aircraft had been fueled with 65 gallons of Jet-A prior to departure. The pilot, who had accumulated 6,600 flight hours, stated that no abnormalities were noted during engine start or takeoff. After the power loss, the pilot attempted both an air start and a battery-assisted engine restart, but neither was successful.
Investigation Findings
An inspection of the engine, conducted on November 30, 2005, revealed a reddish-brown stain beneath the fuel pump/fuel control unit on the accessory gearbox. When the accessory gearbox was turned, rotation of the drive splines in the fuel pump (splines for the fuel control unit) was not observed. The fuel pump unit was subsequently removed, and reddish-brown staining was present between the fuel pump and the accessory gearbox. The fuel pump drive splines were found to be worn, as were the internal splines on the fuel pump drive coupling. The wear prevented full engagement of the spline drives. Both pieces exhibited evidence of fretting with reddish-brown material present.
At the time of the incident, the airframe had accumulated approximately 130 hours since a maintenance inspection that had included inspection of the fuel pump. The engine had a total time of 9,852 hours, with 5,574 hours since overhaul.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the loss of engine power was due to the failure of the engine-driven fuel pump. A contributing factor was the inadequate inspection of the engine-driven fuel pump.