What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot departed pdx at 0805 am on part 135 cargo flight and at 1000 ft MSL noticed left manifold pressure drop 6 inches below right engine, felt a surge in the engines, and noted left cylinder head temperature dropped to 0. All other gauges were normal, and she returned to pdx for landing without reducing power. No emergency was declared. After landing, the aircraft was inspected and evidence of fire from left engine was found by substantial fire damage to left flap and MLG door for left wheel. Left engine cowlings were removed, and a complete separation and displacement of the r/h exhaust pipe to the turbocharger was noted, with obvious evidence of fire damage to hoses, lines, engine mount, and wastegate controller. It was determined that heat from the failed exhaust pipe had burned through the wastegate controller, causing oil under pressure to ignite and stream fire under the left wing. Structural damage noted to lower wing skin aft of engine, and heat distortion noted to spar aft of engine. Failed component had 254 hours since new, when installed during overhaul.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DEPARTED PDX AT 0805 AM ON PART 135 CARGO FLIGHT AND AT 1000 FT MSL NOTICED LEFT MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROP 6 INCHES BELOW RIGHT ENGINE, FELT A SURGE IN THE ENGINES, AND NOTED LEFT CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO 0. ALL OTHER GAUGES WERE NORMAL, AND SHE RETURNED TO PDX FOR LANDING WITHOUT REDUCING POWER. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND EVIDENCE OF FIRE FROM LEFT ENGINE WAS FOUND BY SUBSTANTIAL FIRE DAMAGE TO LEFT FLAP AND MLG DOOR FOR LEFT WHEEL. LEFT ENGINE COWLINGS WERE REMOVED, AND A COMPLETE SEPARATION AND DISPLACEMENT OF THE R/H EXHAUST PIPE TO THE TURBOCHARGER WAS NOTED, WITH OBVIOUS EVIDENCE OF FIRE DAMAGE TO HOSES, LINES, ENGINE MOUNT, AND WASTEGATE CONTROLLER. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HEAT FROM THE FAILED EXHAUST PIPE HAD BURNED THROUGH THE WASTEGATE CONTROLLER, CAUSING OIL UNDER PRESSURE TO IGNITE AND STREAM FIRE UNDER THE LEFT WING. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NOTED TO LOWER WING SKIN AFT OF ENGINE, AND HEAT DISTORTION NOTED TO SPAR AFT OF ENGINE. FAILED COMPONENT HAD 254 HOURS SINCE NEW, WHEN INSTALLED DURING OVERHAUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3BT · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.