19951030039889I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Fairbanks, AK · October 30, 1995

Date: October 30, 1995 · 07:28 local
Place: Fairbanks, AK
Airport: Fairbanks International
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: FFSA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7164D
Reported as: Piper PA31350
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,000 total1,255 in this make and model287 in the last 90 days

N7164DRegistered now · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-8052013 · Built 1980 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: pilot reported at approx. 7000' on climb-out he heard a muffled noise and observed fire coming out of the right engine cowling, he immediately shut the engine down and returned to the take-off point. No injuries. On inspection it was found the right engine turbocharger exhaust pipe was off and laying inside the cowling. The exhaust pipe securing clamp was missing, it evidently broke and made it's exit through the cowling half or the bottom cowl vent. A records inspection showed the aircraft to be within its inspection limitations and no recent work done on the turbocharger. The right engine had a detailed inspection performed 83 hours ago with no findings.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PILOT REPORTED AT APPROX. 7000' ON CLIMB-OUT HE HEARD A MUFFLED NOISE AND OBSERVED FIRE COMING OUT OF THE RIGHT ENGINE COWLING, HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND RETURNED TO THE TAKE-OFF POINT. NO INJURIES. ON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THE RIGHT ENGINE TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST PIPE WAS OFF AND LAYING INSIDE THE COWLING. THE EXHAUST PIPE SECURING CLAMP WAS MISSING, IT EVIDENTLY BROKE AND MADE IT'S EXIT THROUGH THE COWLING HALF OR THE BOTTOM COWL VENT. A RECORDS INSPECTION SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE WITHIN ITS INSPECTION LIMITATIONS AND NO RECENT WORK DONE ON THE TURBOCHARGER. THE RIGHT ENGINE HAD A DETAILED INSPECTION PERFORMED 83 HOURS AGO WITH NO FINDINGS.