VEE-TRANS 240 Mayday at Luton
 

Thank you so much to the ATC units involved yesterday in helping to deliver us safely on the ground!

I was First officer on this Chieftain, that suffered a catastrophic engine failure just as dawn was breaking over Luton. We were cruising at FL80 and it suddenly quit...In a violent way!

Luckily we were in VMC overhead the airfield, as we could not maintain altitude due to deformation of the cowling and loose parts of engine dangling in the slipstream!

I am so lucky! please get in touch if you were involved so that I can thank you personally!

Hi EGMC....Check your PM's.

Glad you made it down safely EGMC...

VEE-TRANS 240 Mayday at Luton
 

Hi EGMC,
I saw your machine sat at signature last night. I'm glad you made it down safely, it looked as if the rear engine mounts have maybe failed? Is that so?

Two pictures that tell the story...
 

Glad you made it back down safely!

Looks like one cylinder blew right off the engine's block with the piston still in it. It's hanging on by only the EGT probe's Inconel wire and the spark plug wire.

Perhaps a thrown rod was the cause?

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...ps771293b0.jpg

Close up...

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...ps8220c8d2.jpg

Bloody Hell!
Great Job done by the crew.
Lucky (if that's the right word?!) they were at FL80 over Luton at the time........................
Aren't Jets wonderful?
Jez

Check your pm's

It was a great landing considering and was even better to see you down safely.