2007-08 · NASA ASRS report 752247
PA28 PILOT REPORTS ENGINE FAILURE AT 10500 FT AND SUCCESSFUL DEAD STICK LANDING AT NEARBY ARPT.
I TOOK OFF WITH 1 PAX FROM ZZZ AND WAS ENRTE TO ZZZ1. AFTER TKOF I CLBED TO 10500 FT MSL. UPON REACHING MY DESIRED ALT I REDUCED MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO 30 INCHES AND REDUCED THE RPM'S TO 2400 FOR CRUISE FLT. ALL OTHER INSTS READ NORMAL. I HAD OVER 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. WITHIN MINS OF LEVELOFF; I LOST MANIFOLD PRESSURE VERY QUICKLY AND NOTICED THE ENG RPM WINDING DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TANKS; ADVANCED THE MIXTURE AND TURNED THE BOOSTER PUMP ON; ALL WITH NO NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN PWR. THE ENG SEEMED TO BE RUNNING AT JUST ABOVE IDLE BUT WOULD ONLY INCREASE PWR A MINIMAL AMOUNT AS THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK AND ADVANCED FORWARD. I BEGAN TO LOSE ALT AT ABOUT 200 FPM. THE ENG SEEMED TO BE PRODUCING SOME PWR BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN ALT. I HAD A VFR FLT FOLLOWING WITH APCH AT THE TIME AND DECLARED AN EMER. I HAD ANNOUNCED THAT I LOST MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND NEEDED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. I REQUESTED ZZZ2. APCH ADVISED OF SEVERAL ARPTS CLOSER IN THE VICINITY AND I REITERATED ZZZ2 AS THE DESIRED DEST DUE TO MY ALT AT THAT TIME. ZZZ2 WAS ABOUT 28 MI OUT. I WAS CLRED TO ZZZ2. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE ENG BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND ALL PWR WAS LOST. I ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE AND BEGAN TO DSND AT ABOUT 700 FPM. I REQUESTED A DIVERSION TO ZZZ3 AS IT WAS CLOSER AND INFORMED APCH THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A DEAD STICK LNDG. APCH CLRED US DIRECT ZZZ3. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND. CFR WAS ON SCENE AWAITING OUR ARR. FORTUNATELY; WE WERE ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT; ALBEIT; WITHOUT PWR. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP OFF OF THE RWY AND ONTO THE TXWY. WE WERE MET BY CFR. WE WERE THEN TOWED OFF TO A MAINT FACILITY. I CHKED IN THE FARS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYWHERE THAT ANY RPTING OR ACTION POST INCIDENT WAS NECESSARY; THUS NO OTHER ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AT THIS TIME. THE ENG PROB HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AS OF THIS DATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POSTFLT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT A COPPER TUBE RUNNING FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO THE TURBOCHARGER HAD BROKEN; CAUSING THE ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING. THE ACFT HAD RECENTLY HAD ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. AFTER REPAIR THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY EXCEPT THAT ONE CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE LOW COMPRESSION. BURNED VALVES WERE FOUND TO BE THE CULPRIT IN THIS CYLINDER AND WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE CYLINDER AND PISTON. AFTER ALL REPAIRS THE ENGINE RAN WELL AND NO LONGER EXHIBITED A TENDENCY TO FOUL PLUGS DURING EXTENDED TAXIES. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE COPPER TUBE MAY HAVE BEEN CRACKED AND LEAKING FOR SOME TIME PRIOR TO ITS ULTIMATE FAILURE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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