engine failure, how common?
Are you kidding?...crossing the Bass in a single???...i would not even attempt it in a twin! 
Having said that, my critical engine decided to disintegrate at 9000' with 9 pax, max fuel and 60 miles to King Is. resulted a feathered trip with very white knuckels on the throttle constantly loosing altitude. It was a recently overhauled IGSO 480 with only 20 hours on it.
The reason?
Listen to this Capt Wally!.... Incorrect Continental valve locks installed in a Lyco resulting 6 inlet valves dropping into the cylinders!
If it happened on take off i would not be here to tell this!
Having said that, my critical engine decided to disintegrate at 9000' with 9 pax, max fuel and 60 miles to King Is. resulted a feathered trip with very white knuckels on the throttle constantly loosing altitude. It was a recently overhauled IGSO 480 with only 20 hours on it.
The reason?
Listen to this Capt Wally!.... Incorrect Continental valve locks installed in a Lyco resulting 6 inlet valves dropping into the cylinders!
If it happened on take off i would not be here to tell this!
I would have no particular issues with crossing Bass Straight in the Bonza. It hasn't missed a beat in the last 600 hrs, so why would the next hour or so be a problem?
That said, I would:
1) wear a life jacket
2) carry a life raft and appropriate survival equipment
3) fly as high as possible - anywhere up to FL170
Dr
That said, I would:
1) wear a life jacket
2) carry a life raft and appropriate survival equipment
3) fly as high as possible - anywhere up to FL170
Dr
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3 partials only?
Forkie speaks with forked tongue.........
What about PA38 ,YBAF,late downwind....mixture rich, boost pump on ,change tank.........uneventfull restoration of noise........long time ago but was the well known chemist on board only dreaming?
But the smart ones learn ,don't they........Forkie has long been noted for meticulous pre-landing checks.
Flopt -dobber.
What about PA38 ,YBAF,late downwind....mixture rich, boost pump on ,change tank.........uneventfull restoration of noise........long time ago but was the well known chemist on board only dreaming?
But the smart ones learn ,don't they........Forkie has long been noted for meticulous pre-landing checks.
Flopt -dobber.
Geez Floppy, early dementia has got ya mate!
This thread is about engine failures - not pilot failures!
Dr
PS: For the record it was a PA32! The fan stopped just as I turned X-wind on a go-round off Rwy 10 at YBAF. The person to whom you refer was not on board - I was distracted by the scrumptious little blonde pharmacist sitting next to me - and missed my pre-landing checks! I think the blood had drained from my head to my ......... errr, other parts of my body!
This thread is about engine failures - not pilot failures!
Dr
PS: For the record it was a PA32! The fan stopped just as I turned X-wind on a go-round off Rwy 10 at YBAF. The person to whom you refer was not on board - I was distracted by the scrumptious little blonde pharmacist sitting next to me - and missed my pre-landing checks! I think the blood had drained from my head to my ......... errr, other parts of my body!
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I'll bite........
OK, Forkie.....
How far will a FTDK glide from FL170? [extending graph shows 32nm for M20j].
So you're on track YMMB -YWYY 184nm [approx 160nm over water] and a rod goes through the block at FL170 40 mins into the flight........you've all ready seen one shonky cylinder/ piston combination in that motor... the last 'top' OH may not have been any better.....the crankcase has a crack as long as your old fella........the big ends are probably shot........
You would have about 1/2 an hour to think about how cold and wet you will soon be .....and how far from land?
Me? Give me the good looking sheila serving the beers any day!
Floppyness
......caused by S/E ifr night engine failure survival.
How far will a FTDK glide from FL170? [extending graph shows 32nm for M20j].
So you're on track YMMB -YWYY 184nm [approx 160nm over water] and a rod goes through the block at FL170 40 mins into the flight........you've all ready seen one shonky cylinder/ piston combination in that motor... the last 'top' OH may not have been any better.....the crankcase has a crack as long as your old fella........the big ends are probably shot........
You would have about 1/2 an hour to think about how cold and wet you will soon be .....and how far from land?
Me? Give me the good looking sheila serving the beers any day!
Floppyness
......caused by S/E ifr night engine failure survival.
Floppy, ya need to update ya flightplanner! I make it 148 nm from Wonthaggi NDB/VOR to Flinders Is NDB - about 120 nm over water - with a couple of islands enroute.
I can't see the big deal really!
Dr
I can't see the big deal really!
Dr
Doc
I got a mate used to fly a 210 a while ago from St Helens to Merimbula full of crayfish at 500' all the way because he was a whale watcher. He said anything above that used to give him nose bleeds.
FL170?.... ( he would say ) You are got to be kidding, right?.. Whimp!... Flight levels for airline pilots!
FL170?.... ( he would say ) You are got to be kidding, right?.. Whimp!... Flight levels for airline pilots!
Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
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I took a tired old C172 from YPJT to Manila in the Philippines once.
Heart rate rises when the fouling plug burps occasionally and it two hours in either direction to anything resembling land. Took an even older and tireder C172 from YPJT to Goroka...... the open water stretches were heaps smaller, but there were moments the pulse quickened in the hills.
Heart rate rises when the fouling plug burps occasionally and it two hours in either direction to anything resembling land. Took an even older and tireder C172 from YPJT to Goroka...... the open water stretches were heaps smaller, but there were moments the pulse quickened in the hills.
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Nah, don't worry. It'll never happen to you. 
Only hiccough I ever got was when the engine stopped (and the prop with it) during the landing roll. Spoke to the LAME on the phone and he reckoned that if I waited a bit and got it started it was probably some kind of vapour lock (which would not be an issue with a windmilling prop so isolated to taxi/landing roll).
Other than that 1200 hours behind Lycos and Conties without any real issues (touch wood).
FRQ CB
Only hiccough I ever got was when the engine stopped (and the prop with it) during the landing roll. Spoke to the LAME on the phone and he reckoned that if I waited a bit and got it started it was probably some kind of vapour lock (which would not be an issue with a windmilling prop so isolated to taxi/landing roll).
Other than that 1200 hours behind Lycos and Conties without any real issues (touch wood).
FRQ CB
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Complete engine failures.
After an aviation career of 43 years I can only recall two complete engine failures. Both were in a Cessna 402, one was a turbo charger and the other was an oil pressure line to the unfeathing accumulator that broke.
Quite a few other incidents kept me busy during this time
Tmb.
Quite a few other incidents kept me busy during this time
Tmb.
Grandpa Aerotart
.....the crankcase has a crack as long as your old fella.......
Engine failures?
6.5 (not including a carby ice stoppage in a C150 one night on finals at Narrabri)
One was a jet and 3 were in piston twins (Islander/402/Aerostar - that one was cool, attendant fire indications with no bottle to discharge) all of which I landed back. The remainders resulted in placing the aircraft on the ground with varying extremes of prejudice.
The .5 is because the engine failure in the Islander was 3 out 4 magnetos dying over water en-route West New Britain. For a while as the magnetos died one at a time I didn't know which engine would actually stop...the left would stumble and the aircraft yaw that way and a few minutes later the right would stumble and the aircraft yawed that way. The only 3 magnetos that have ever given me grief in 29 years.
Also had a complete electrical failure in the Deathstar in IMC < LSALT (over water) on descent. EVERYTHING in a Deathstar is electrical.
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 9th Oct 2008 at 18:59.
I reckon a crack that long would be entirely within tolerances and only require monitoring each annual inspection
I thought this thread was about engine failures - not failures in general!
Apart from the 3 partials and the momentary total lack of noise referred to above, I have only had a few relatively minor clitches over the last 35 years.
1) One short-lived engine fire (Auster J1B) that I didn't know about until after I had landed.
2) 3 or 4 vac pump failures - two in SE aircraft in IMC.
3) 2 total electrical/alternator failures
Probably the most interesting was a multiple systems failure - that led me to "acquire" the Forktailed Dr Killer.
I had always been able to private hire good aircraft up until about 10 years ago when they became very scarce.
This particular day I was enroute YBTL - YLRE in a C182RG, on an IFR plan but sitting in VMC on top when I started to smell what I thought was paint! I didn't have any paint on board, but I eventually noticed oil dripping from the compass. Needless to say it drained itself dry and became useless. Not a big problem.
Sometime later the AH rolled upside down! OK, I thought, no big deal as I am in VMC on top and YLRE is reported to be Cavok.
I made the return flight to YBTL as a VFR flight. About halfway home I had an alternator failure. Not to get caught out with a flat battery, as had been the case with an earlier alternator failure in a C210, I dropped the gear and completed the last 100nm or so with the gear down and locked. I used my handheld VHF radio (bought after the C210 incident) to get a clearance and talk to the TL tower.
After I landed I wrote up all the faults in the Maintenance Release, thus grounding the aircraft - much to the owners displeasure.
I decided that if I was going to continue to use an aeroplane the way I had been, I needed to find one that I could rely on!
Enter the FTDK!
Dr
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Just checked the log and did a total of 1,495 hours above the waters of Bass Strait single engine. Must admit used to ponder the survival chances watching the spume being blown off the wave tops by the 70 knot zephyrs. Never had a failure though, different story when we went to twins, many precautionary shutdowns or reduce engine to idle, and two full blown chew up the turbine and spit the bits out failures. Strangely both failures in the same aircraft, first #2 then #1 about 18 months apart.
How far will a FTDK glide from FL170? [extending graph shows 32nm for M20j]
You should try pulling the pitch knob all the way out!
Dr