This will be the PENULTIMATE episode of the soap opera, and probably the most expensive.
I left you last time having just shut down the lH engine after oil pressure failure. It was only when I shut down that the reality dawned on me.
Had the pressure held for another 60 seconds I would have been past V1 and somewhere in the neitherland of Vr, not a good place at night with an engine failure on a light twin.
After that sunk in we all went to the Agrabad hotel for copious quantities of German beer, and the usual unpalitable Bangladesh version of a steak.
Next morning we spent all day trying to trouble shot the oil pressure problem as all other indications on the engine showed no problems.
Finally I tried a feather test and all that happened was the engine feathered well but refused to come out, indicating little or no oil pressure.
It was time to remove the engine and send it back to Billyara in Sydney.
This time round I was much better clued up how to handle Bangladesh Customs. It was cheaper and easier time #2.
Once the engine was back in Australia Billyara dissassembled it and gave me the good and bad news.
The good news was no damage, just a bulk strip and new bearings. The bad news - the overhaul shop had seriously endangered mine and the other crew members lives with their overhaul.
The engine failure was attributed to the oil pump sucking air instead of oil. The reason!!!!!!!!!!!
When the engine was overhaulled the overhaul shop had had problems with one of the lower crankcase bolts near the oil pump. The crankcase needed a helicoil to repair an oversized thread, which they installed. BUT in doing so the original bolt couldnt take up the tightness so they simply put in a longer bolt.
This longer bolt pierced the oil gallery leading to the oil pump, but no sufficiently to cause issues. It was only after 132 hours of operation did the hole finally break thru. It was when take off boost power that did it.
When I rang the overhaul shop their answer was simply
The aircraft is in Bangladesh
You are Australian and
We are in California.
See you in court!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say I contacted the FAA who are now investigagting the matter, and although I will probably never see a $$$$, I have been assured the FAA will pursue it. And the reason they'll follow up on it, was when I explained they could have attended a fatality.
Six weeks later I was back in my favourite country Bangladesh getting my engine thru customs. Now the next problem arose, the whole country was on strike, apparently the lady Prime Minister hates the Lady Opposition Leader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As luck would have it we were able to hire a little truck and they drove in south from Dhaka to Chittagong at night between striking periods. The truck was sooo road worthy. I could see canvas on all the tyres and the rust was a match to the yellow colour, but hey beggars cant be chosers.
Next day we started to instal the engine which this time went smoothly. But then our next issue was fresh engine oil. I couldnt import any so I was forced to buy it locally. Talk about sellers market. The oil was in Dhaka, and the company selling it wanted $US50 per litre delivered, take it or leave it. Naturally as there was no choice I just paid as usual.
Finally after test runs we decided we had had enough of this wonderful country and flight planned to leave ASAP. After a very careful walk around and function test on all systems I was satisfied the aircraft was OK. So at around 3pm we departed Chittagong for a flight over Burman and into Utapoh near Pattaya.
The flight was un eventful, but due to some headwinds we decided to err on the side of caution and land at Dom Maung to refuel before going on to Utopah.
Here we encountered the next set of "Bandits". At Dom Maung the airport had given all handling to just one company Myjet. These people charge accordingly around $US1200 for a technical stop of about 90 minutes.
Fuel was only $US2.45.
After feeling decidly poorer, we reboarded the aircraft and taxied out to the holding point. After applying full power the aircaft seemed to handle normally until we got to 91kts for Vr,. After rotating all of a sudden the left wing dropped and I had great difficulting in maintaing lateral control. It was only 6000 hours experience and brute force that keep the aircraft in the air.
Finally at around 1000 feet and at about 120kts I felt I hads control back. AS Utopah was then only 10 minutes away we elected to continue on and land there.
The approach felt all wrong so I elected to land at normal approach speed plus 15kts or around 110kts. AS I slowed the aircraft for the approach I could feel control was sluggish so in the end I crossed the threashold at 125kts and just flew it slowly onto the runway (runway was 9000 feet being the ex B52 based during the Vietnam war.
When we reached the ramp, and saw the problem I felt like we had used up some of our nine lives in one go - there was one wing with the de icing boots frayed up into a giant speed brake. No wonder the wing dropped with all that loss of lift.
As you can guess the next two days were spent removing the errant boots.
LAST EPISODE WILL BE THE FINAL FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA, AND NOT QUIET GETTING HOME. PLUS AN SUMMARY OF EACH COUNTRY, THE PLUS'S AND MINUS'S OF EACH. AND FOR THOSE PUNDITS WHO KEEP SAYING WHY DIDNT YOU CROSS THE PACIFIC -
THE ANSWER