20020620012649I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Old Town, ME · June 20, 2002

Date: June 20, 2002
Place: Old Town, ME
Airport: Dewitt Fld,Old Town Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N40454
Reported as: Piper PA23250
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540C1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N40454Registered now · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7305167 · Built 1973 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250 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.

(-23) Shortly after take-off from the Old Town, Maine airport to do aerial photography, the PIC, raymond e. gibouleau, declared an emergency due to fire on the left engine and returned to said airport. The aircraft landed without incident approximately 0830 EDT. There was minor damage to the engine cowling. The certificated mechanic for the company owned aircraft stated that the left engine had 91.0 hours since major overhaul, including the turbo charger unit. It was determined that the waste gate closed. This created considerable back pressure in the exhaust system and one exhaust clamp sheared, allowing exhaust flames to burn the oil line to the turbo unit. The oil line caught fire resulting in damage to other engine components. An m or d has been requested.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF FROM THE OLD TOWN, MAINE AIRPORT TO DO AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, THE PIC, RAYMOND E. GIBOULEAU, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO FIRE ON THE LEFT ENGINE AND RETURNED TO SAID AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 0830 EDT. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COWLING. THE CERTIFICATED MECHANIC FOR THE COMPANY OWNED AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE HAD 91.0 HOURS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL, INCLUDING THE TURBO CHARGER UNIT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WASTE GATE CLOSED. THIS CREATED CONSIDERABLE BACK PRESSURE IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND ONE EXHAUST CLAMP SHEARED, ALLOWING EXHAUST FLAMES TO BURN THE OIL LINE TO THE TURBO UNIT. THE OIL LINE CAUGHT FIRE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. AN M OR D HAS BEEN REQUESTED.