A DHC-8-100 ON TEST FLT AT 30 KTS AIRSPEED. TKOF WAS ABORTED DUE TO R ENG GOING INTO AUTOFEATHER. TEST FLT FOR ENG ROLLBACK.

Narrative

THE ACFT THAT I WAS ASSIGNED TO TEST FLY HAD A HISTORY OF PROBS WITH THE TORQUE ROLLING BACK DURING DIFFERENT PHASES OF FLT. THE SUSPECT ENG #1 HAD UNDERGONE MAJOR INSPECTION TO IDENTIFY THE PROB; AND NUMEROUS PARTS WERE CHANGED. PREFLT AND RUN UP WERE NORMAL AND WE PROCEEDED WITH A NORMAL TKOF ON RWY 8L. ABOUT 30 KTS OF AIRSPEED THE #2 ENG AUTOFEATHERED; AND I ABORTED THE TKOF. WE RETURNED TO THE HANGAR AND RPTED THE UNSATISFACTORY TEST FLT TO MAINT. I FEEL THAT IN SUCH CASES AS THESE CHRONIC ENG PROBS; THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE CONSULTED AND ASSIST IN THESE PROBS. IN ADDITION; I FEEL FLT CREWS SHOULD HAVE A CHKLIST APPROVED BY THE FAA AND MANUFACTURER ABOUT ITEMS TO TEST FLY AND PROCS APPROVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS DISPATCHED ON A TEST FLT FOR ENG ROLLBACK AND THE L ENG HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPONENTS REPLACED. ON TKOF ROLL AT 30 KTS INDICATED AIRSPEED; THE R ENG WENT INTO AUTOFEATHER AND THE TKOF WAS REJECTED. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO MAINT FOR CORRECTION OF THE R ENG PROPELLER GOING INTO AUTOFEATHER MODE. MAINT DISCOVERED ON THIS AIRPLANE WHEN TESTING THE AUTOFEATHER CIRCUIT; THE CIRCUIT REMAINED STUCK IN 'TEST' MODE AND ENG LAST TESTED WOULD AUTOFEATHER. THE RPTR EXPRESSES CONCERN WITH THE MAINT DEPT FOR NOT INVOLVING THE MANUFACTURER AS IN THIS CASE THE AUTOFEATHER PROB COULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED SOONER. THE ENG ROLLBACK SIT WAS A LONG CHRONIC PROB THE MANUFACTURER COULD HAVE SOLVED MUCH QUICKER THAN JUST CHANGING A NUMBER OF PARTS.