N3BT

PIPER PA-31-350 No injuries Part 135 — Ameriflight, LLC

Operated by Ameriflight, Inc. (per NTSB report)

ATA 8500

Part: ENGINE — MAKING METAL (LEFT) · airframe 21,276 hrs · 26,648 cycles

AFTER DEPARTING, THE PILOT NOTICE DURING CLIMB THROUGH 9000 TO 10500 FEET THAT THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE ON THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SLOWLY DROPPING. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPT TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ISSUES BY ADJUSTING THE MIXTURE, HE NOTICES THE LEFT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPPING TO THE MINIMUM LEVEL. NOTIFIED APPROACH OF THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED TO RETURN TO DEPARTURE. APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES LATER THE MANIFOLD AND OIL PRESSURE CONTINUE TO DEGRADE. THE PILOT ANALYZES HIS SITUATION AND DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE LANDING WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED THE LEFT ENGINE AND FOUND FERROUS METAL IN OIL FILTER.

ATA 8500

Part: ENGINE — MAKING METAL (LEFT) · airframe 20,942 hrs · 26,288 cycles

THE PILOT REPORTED DURING CLIMBOUT THAT THE LT ENGINE WAS SURGING AND LACKING IN PERFORMANCE. THE LT OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW BUT STILL IN THE GREEN, THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE AND OIL TEMPERATURE WERE HIGH, THE PILOT ENRICHED THE MIXTURE AND FULLY OPENED THE COWL FLAP AND NOTED THAT THE SURGING WAS NOT REFLECTING IN THE RPM OR MANIFOLD PRESSURE. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO CLIMB AND LEVELED OFF TO SEE HOW THE LT ENGINE RESPONDED IN CRUISE, WITH CRUISE POWER SETTINGS THE PLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT THEN WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE FOR IFR BACK TO DEPARTURE. THE LT ENGINE CONTINUED TO DECREASE IN PERFORMANCE AND THE PILOT, FOLLOWING PROCEDURES, SHUT THE LT ENGINE DOWN AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER AT THAT POINT THE ACFT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. THE PILOT DECLARED AND EMERGENCY AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CLEARED THE ACTIVE RUNWAY AND SHUT THE ACFT DOWN ON THE ADJACENT TAXI WAY. MAINTENANCE TROUBLESHOT THE LT ENGINE AND DISCOVERED LOW CYLINDER COMPRESSION AND METAL PARTICLES IN THE OIL AND FILTER ELEMENT. ENGINE TO BE REPLACED AND CORRECTIVE ACTION TO BE AMENDED ONCE COMPLETE. ENGINE REPLACEMENT IN PROGRESS. LEFT ENGINE, PN TIO-540-J2B, SN L-9324-61A, TT 7777.3 HRS, 7554 CYC, TSI 430.3 HRS, 364 CYCLES SINCE O/H.

ATA 3260

Part: INDICATION SYS — MALFUNCTIONED (COCKPIT) · airframe 20,702 hrs · 26,091 cycles

DURING APPROACH, THE PILOT SELECTED THE LG TO THE EXTEND POSITION. THE PILOT NOTICED THE LT MLG LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE PILOT TRIED TO CYCLE THE GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULTS. PERFORMED A MANUAL EXTENSION OF LG, THE LT MAIN INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINED OFF. THE PILOT LANDED & AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE LT MLG INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PERFORMED MULTIPLE GEAR SWINGS ON JACKS, COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE DISCREPANCY. AS A PRECAUTION CLEANED & LUBED THE GEAR SWITCHES & LUBRICATED LG. PERFORMED OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF LG SYSTEMS, ALL SYSTEM CHECKS WERE NORMAL.

ATA 8500

Part: ENGINE — POWER LOSS (RIGHT) · airframe 20,640 hrs · 26,026 cycles

EN-ROUTE THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RT ENG WAS LOSING POWER, THE OIL PRESS WAS DECREASING & THE OIL TEMPERATURE & CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE WERE INCREASING. THE PILOT DECIDED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF THE RT ENG, AFTER ENGINE SHUTDOWN THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMER. DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETURN, THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE & LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. TROUBLESHOOTING THIS DISCREPANCY, WE WILL FOLLOW UP AT A LATER TIME WITH THE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

ATA 7314

Part: PUMP — MALFUNCTIONED (RT ENGINE FUEL) · airframe 20,640 hrs · 26,026 cycles

THE ENG OVERHAUL SHOP PERFORMED A COMPLETE TEAR DOWN & EVALUATION OF THE ENG DUE TO METAL IN THE OIL FILTER. TEAR DOWN REPORT SHOWED NO VISIBLE CAUSE FOR THE METAL IN THE FILTER. ALL INTERNAL COMPONENTS WERE SATISFACTORY. REASSEMBLED ENG. DURING TEST CELL RUN FOUND THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP HAD LOW OUTPUT PRESS. REPLACED THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP & THE ENG RUNS WERE SATISFACTORY. THE ENG OIL FILTERS WERE INSPECTED NO METAL WAS PRESENT.

ATA 2910

Part: FLUID — LOW (HYDRAULIC SYS) · airframe 20,452 hrs · 25,870 cycles

DURING APPROACH, THE PILOT SELECTED THE LG HANDLE TO THE EXTEND POSITION, ONLY THE LT MAIN GEAR POSITION INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT CYCLED THE LG HANDLE WITH THE SAME RESULTS. PERFORMED A MANUAL EXTENSION OF THE LG. AFTER RECEIVING THREE GREEN DOWN & LOCKED POSITION INDICATOR LIGHTS THE PILOT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. INSPECTION REVEALED LOW HYD FLUID IN RESERVOIR. SERVICED HYD RESERVOIR & PERFORMED LG OPERATIONAL CHECK. SYS CHECKED NORMAL.

ATA 7810

Part: EXHAUST DUCT — CRACKED (LT ENGINE)

AFTER DEPARTURE, AT ABOUT 1000 FEET AGL, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE LT ENGINE MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPPED SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE SURGED AND THEN QUIT RUNNING. THE PILOT RETURNED TO DEPARTURE SAFELY. UPON EXAMINATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE EXHAUST FLANGE AT THE WASTE GATE HAD CRACKED AND BROKEN OFF. THE RESULTING BLAST OF HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST MELTED PART OF THE WASTE GATE CONTROLLER, SPILLING OIL AND CAUSING AN INFLIGHT FIRE. THE DAMAGE FROM THE FIRE WARPED THE SKINS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WING, BURNED THE OUTER SKIN OFF THE LT MLG DOOR AND BURNED LARGE HOLES IN THE FLAP. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE FLANGES AND WELDS ON THESE PMA ASSEMBLIES, AS FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST PIPES COULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE AS IT DID IN THIS CASE, AND COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LIFE. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE MFG WELD PROCESS IN THIS AREA HAS RECENTLY CHANGED. (K)

ATA 8500

Part: ENGINE — MALFUNCTION (RT ENGINE)

AFTER TAKEOFF, RT ENGINE SURGED AND PILOT NOTICED A DROP IN FUEL FLOW. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO BUR. PERFORMED COMPRESSION CHECK, CHECKED PROP DOME PRESSURE, CHECKED SPARK PLUGS AND MAG TIMING, CHECKED FUEL INJECTOR FLOW, AND CHECKED DENSITY CONTROLLER CONDITION AND ADJUSTMENT. NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND. PERFORMED ENGINE GROUND RUNS WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT HAD NO DIFFICULTIES.

ATA 3230

Part: ROD END — FAILED (RT MLG ACTUATOR)

PILOT REPORTED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND RETRACT. MAINTENANCE FOUND FOLLOWING DISCREPANCIES: THE MAIN GEAR ACTUATOR ROD END (PN IS NOT LISTED IN EITHER FIGURE 39 OR FIGURE 106 OF THE IPC) HAD COME APART (BALL RETAINERS AND BALL SEPARATED FROM HOUSING) AND HAD BROKEN AT THE TOP THREAD. THE TELESCOPING ROD UPPER ROD END (PN 452-383) ALSO HAD BROKEN AT THE TOP THREAD, AND THE LOCK ROD ATTACH FORK (PN 41789-00) WAS FROZEN.