404 Titan wrote:
I’ll leave that comment for others to debate, but suffice to say it is a myth and is certainly so regarding this case. The aircraft is certified to be able to maintain 5000 ft on one engine at MTOW in ISA conditions. On the day it was 11°C colder and 21hPa higher pressure than ISA and well below MTOW.
Despite the fact that the process under which those aircraft were issued their Type Certification was conducted in excess of thirty plus years ago those airframes are getting very tired now, it very blatantly highlights that some other issue was in play at the time - one that may not have come to light yet.
Like many, I've had my own issues with Pa-31s, mine was minor compared to the one that took the life of Andrew and Karen, but it still struggled even with partial power on the bad one at near MTOW, and that was many, many years ago.
It would be interesting to see just how many aircraft retain their original certified performance these days, and in fact I feel it should be mandatory as part of CASA's ageing aircraft program for each effected airframe to have to re-demonstrate its continued compliance with its original certification standards in order to be re-issed an annual/MR.
RatsoreA, Jamair makes a very valid point. In this day and age there is no place for piston powered dung heaps in Government sponsored/paid for operations, to think otherwise is rather indicative of a Flat Earth mentality.