N3527U
Registered owner: WARBELOWS AIR VENTURES INC, AK (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| WARBELOWS AIR VENTURES INC (WVBA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
Accident & incident history
Maintenance disclosures
EXCESSIVE CAM LOBE WEAR IS CAUSING POWER LOSS AND EARLY REMOVAL OF SEVERAL OF OUR ENGINES. THIS ENGINE WAS THE EARLIEST REMOVAL SO FAR, WITH 744 HOURS REMAINING UNTIL O/H. HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MFG TECH SUPPORT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME NOW AND HAVE YET TO FIND A SOLUTION. IT SEEMS THAT FOR SOME REASON USUALLY ONE CAM FOLLOWER WILL BECOME "PITTED" AND BEGIN TO ACCELERATE WEAR ON THE LOBE IT RIDES ON. NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING THE PITTING, OR HOW TO PREVENT IT.
PILOT NOTICED RT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROP AFTER CLIMBING THRU 24000 FT. HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. THE PILOT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS. MAINTENANCE COMPLIED WITH A VISUAL CHECK OF THE ENGINE AND DID A FULL ENGINE RUN UP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SENT ON AN OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT AND NO PROBLEMS APPEARED. SUSPECT OIL COOLER CONGEALING, RESULTING IN HIGH OIL TEMPS AND LOW OIL PRESSURE WHICH CAUSED BOOST COMPONENTS TROUBLE MAINTAINING MANIFOLD PRESSURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FOR FLIGHT OPS.
DURING SOME LINE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED FUEL STAIN FROM THE HEATER DRAIN. THE SOURCE WAS FOUND TO BE THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WHICH WAS LEAKING FROM THE LOWER PARTING SURFACE. THE UNIT WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED.
DURING INSPECTION IT WAS NOTICED THAT FUEL STAIN WAS ON THE BODY OF THE FUEL PUMP NEAR THE DRAIN COMING FROM THE PARTING SURFACE (LOWER) NOTE THIS IS A NEW STYLE PUMP DESIGNED TO RELIEVE THE LEAKING PROBLEM THE OLDER PUMPS HAD IN THIS AREA. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICABLE UNIT.
PILOT REPORTED FLAPS STUCK IN DOWN POSITION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FLAPS HAD STOPPED PRIOR TO HITTING THE DOWN LIMIT SWITCH AND WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MOTOR HAD BURNED OUT. THE UNIT WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED AND FLAP OPERATION APPEARED NORMAL.
DURING INSPECTION METAL CONTAMINATION WAS DISCOVERED IN THE OIL FILTER. A CHECK OF VALVELIFT WAS DONE AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT NR1 AND NR2 INTAKE LOBES WERE EXCESSIVE. NR1 CYLINDER WAS REMOVED AND DAMAGE OBSERVED ON THE CAM LOBES AND TAPPET FOLLOWERS. NOTE: THIS IS THE 19TH ENGINE IN THREE YEARS.
DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION REGULATOR WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING FROM THE PARTING SURFACE. THE UNIT WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED.
DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION, FUEL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING FROM FUEL SOLENOID SHUT OFF VALVE. PART WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE.
DURING INSPECTION, LOW CYLINDER COMPRESSION WAS DETECTED DURING THE COMPRESSION CHECK. THE CYLINDER WAS REMOVED AND A VISUAL INSPECTION PEFORMED ON THE CAMSHAFT. DETERMINED BOTH NR 3 AND NR 4 INTAKE LOBES AND TAPPET FACES WERE DAMAGED. SUBMITTER STATED THIS IS THE FOURTEENTH SUCH OCCURRENCE IN APPROXIMATELY 2-1/2 YEARS FOR THIS OPERATOR. (X)
DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION, FUEL WAS OBSERVED DRIPPING OUT OF THE DRAIN OF THE FRONT JANITROL HEATER AND FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR DRAIN. THE REGULATOR WAS REMOVED AND FUEL WAS NOTED LEAKING FROM WHERE THE POWER WIRE ENTERS THE UNIT.
DURING INSPECTION OF PROPELLER, RED HUB OIL WAS FOUND LEAKING FROM THE BASES OF ALL 3 BLADES. THE INSIDE OF THE SPINNER AND SPINNER BULKHEAD ALSO HAD A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF RED OIL ON THEM. THE PROP WAS WASHED DOWN AND THE ENGINE RAN FOR 5 MINUTES AND SHUT DOWN. RED HUB OIL WAS STILL TO BE SEEN LEAKING FROM THE BLADE BASES. AMBIENT TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE ZERO TO MINUS 20 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT RANGE. SUBMITTER SUSPECTED THE SEAL MATERIAL IS FAILING WITH TIME IN SERVICE, AND EXPOSURE TO SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES. PROPELLER WAS REPLACED. (X)
DURING INSPECTION OF PROPELLER, RED HUB OIL WAS FOUND LEAKING FROM THE BASES OF ALL 3 BLADES. THE INSIDE OF THE SPINNER AND SPINNER BULKHEAD ALSO HAD A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF RED OIL ON THEM. THE PROP WAS WASHED DOWN AND THE ENGINE RAN FOR 5 MINUTES AND SHUT DOWN. RED HUB OIL WAS STILL TO BE SEEN LEAKING FROM THE BLADE BASES. AMBIENT TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE ZERO TO MINUS 20 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT RANGE. SUBMITTER SUSPECTED THE SEAL MATERIAL IS FAILING WITH TIME IN SERVICE, AND EXPOSURE TO SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES. PROPELLER WAS REPLACED. (X)
DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION, REGULATOR WAS FOUND LEAKING AT UPPER GASKET.
PILOT REPORTED A DROP IN RIGHT FUEL PRESSURE WHEN HEATER WAS STARTED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED FUEL LEAKAGE FROM HEATER FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AT UPPER SEAL.
AT 100-HOUR INSPECTION, DISCOVERED FERROUS METAL CONTAMINATION IN FILTER ELEMENT. PERFORMED VALVE CLEARANCE CHECK AND FOUND NR 5, NR 6 INTAKE LOBBS WITH EXCESSIVE CLELARANCE BASED ON A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE. IT WAS DECIDED TO REMOVE THE ENGINE FROM SERVICE FOR CAMSHAFT REPLACEMENT.
OIL WAS OBSERVED ON SIDE OF COWLING ON POST-FLIGHT AND IN THE BOTTOM OF COWL. ALSO, AFTER REMOVING COWL, OIL WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM AROUND THE THREADS OF OIL PRESSURE REGULATOR. REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. (X)
ON TAKEOFF, PILOT SELECTED GEAR UP. RED UNSAFE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. PILOT RETURNED TO BASE, PUMPED GEAR DOWN BY HAND. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. RIGHT MAIN INNER GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR UP-LINE FITTING WAS SNAPPED IN HALF. DURING GEAR INSPECTION, OBSERVATIONS SHOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE TIRE OR BRAKE PARTS DO NOT ENTANGLE HYDRAULIC LINES.
THE FLANGE SECTION OF THE HOUSING DESIGNED TO BE SECURED BY THE BOTTOM CLAMP, BROKE OFF DURING FLIGHT. MAGNETO CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY, BUT PILOT REPORTED AN OIL LEAK IN THE RIGHT ENGINE, OBSERVED DURING WALK-AROUND AFTER LANDING. HOUSING SHOULD HAUL A STEEL MOUNTING FLANGE.
SWITCH INTERMITTENT, WILL TEST SUCCESSFULLY. REMOVED UNIT AND BENCH TESTED. DUPLICATED MALFUNCTION ON BENCH, BUT ONLY AFTER SUBJECTING UNIT TO A TEMPERATURE OF MINUS 12 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT FOR 3.75 HOURS.
WILL NOT TEST UP OR DOWN. AUTOPILOT WILL NOT ENGAGE.
ACCELERATOR SWITCH TESTS INERMITTENTLY IN AUTOPILOT SYSTEM ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER.
INSPECTION OF 6 NEW VALVES FOUND TWO OF THE VALVE STEMS WERE GENERALLY IN POOR CONDITION. FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND DEEP PITS AND SCRATCHES THAT APPEARED TO BE INCLUSIONS OR OTHER IMPURITIES.
INSPECTION OF MAGNETO DISTRIBUTOR BLOCK FOUND BUSHING WEAR AND WEAR DAMAGE TO LARGE DISTRIBUTOR GEAR.
AIRCRAFT ELEVATORS WERE OPENED UP IN C/W PIPER MANDATORY SB 998. THE LEFT ELEVATOR SPAR WAS FOUND CRACKED AT THE TIP AND FOUND CRACKED HALF WAY THROUGH THE SPAR JUST INBOARD OF THE VERY OUTBOARD ATTACH POINT. ELEVATOR SPARS NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED UP AT THESE POINTS AND THE ELEVATOR LEADING EDGE ABRASION (RUBBER BOOT) NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO SOMETHING SOLID THAT DOESN'T VIBRATE IN THE AIRFLOW.