ENG FAILURE IN TFC PATTERN CAUSES OFF RWY FORCED LNDG.

Narrative

WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 31 IN A NORMAL MANNER WITH 37 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2700 RPM. WHEN WE REACHED ABOUT 40 FT AGL AND NEAR THE DEP END OF THE RWY; THE ENG STARTED LOSING PWR. THE PWR LOSS WAS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. WE IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A TURN TO RWY 8. AS WE NEARED THE END OF RWY 8 WE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT GND CLRNC TO COMPLETE THE TURN TO RWY 8 AND; AS A RESULT; MADE THE LNDG OFF THE RWY WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. UPON COMING TO A STOP; THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING; SO WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND STOPPED THE ENG. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE ENG WAS RESTARTED AND THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE PARKING AREA AND TIED DOWN. THE NEXT DAY; THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY A MECH. DURING THIS INSPECTION A NORMAL RUN-UP AND MAX PWR TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE RUN-UP WAS NORMAL AND THE ENG DEVELOPED FULL PWR. MAGNETO TIMING WAS WITHIN TOLERANCE AND COMPRESSION WAS HIGH IN ALL CYLINDERS. NO OBVIOUS REASON FOR THE LOSS OF PWR WAS DISCOVERED. THE ONLY FAULT FOUND IN THE ACFT WAS SEVERAL SMALL NICKS IN THE UPPER O-RING SEAL IN THE FUEL STRAINER AND AN INDICATION OF SOME FUEL SEEPAGE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN ACCUMULATION OF FUEL. THE STRAINER HAD BEEN SVCED BY AN FBO WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 30 HRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACFT HAS A MODEL 'XA' ENG. RPTR SAYS THIS ENG HAS THE SAME FUEL PUMP AS THE MODEL 'YA' ENG INVOLVED IN RPT ACN 220934. RPTR IS MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND IS CONVINCED THAT THE FUEL PUMP IS AT FAULT. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED FOLLOWING FORCED LNDG AND ENG NOW RUNS BETTER THAN EVER. HE THINKS BOTH THE IDLE AND PWR RELIEF VALVES HAVE CHRONIC PROBLEMS. HE HAS ALSO HEARD OF ENGS FAILING AFTER LNDG BECAUSE OF FUEL PUMP PROBLEM. HE DID HAVE THE OLD PUMP TESTED BUT NOTHING DEFINITE WAS FOUND. HE WAS FLYING WITH A FRIEND WHO HAS A CFI-A. DAMAGE TO ACFT COST ONLY 90 DOLLARS TO REPAIR. HE WILL TRY TO CALL THE FAA DIRECT AND GIVE THEM ALL THE INFO ON THIS INCIDENT THAT HE CAN.