20091129022699I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-46-310P · Cibecue, AZ · November 29, 2009

Date
November 29, 2009 · 11:54 local
Place
Cibecue, AZ
Airport
Cibecue
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N797HG
Reported as
Piper PA46310P
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
14,000 total800 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

Aircraft was enroute from falcon field (ffz) to lubbock TX. (Lub). Aircraft had cliimbed to FL190 to clear weather and overcast, and was cruising when the engine began losing RPM. Pilot statemant was that the engine “just rolled back like a turbine engine with no thrust” but never quit running. Attempts to clear engine and gain power by making changes to fuel pump and alternate air were unsuccessful. Aircraft began losing altitude and pilot contacted ATC (zab) and declared an emergency and asked for directions to the nearest airport. Zab directed them to white river initially, but the length of the runway and terrain surrounding that runway determined that another airport should be used. Zab then directed the pilot to Cibecue (Z95) airport. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to the area of Z95 and began a circular descent staying away from clouds until he was able to see the airport at approximately 10,000 ft. MSL. He then noted that the manifold pressure from the engine instrument had increased (to between 22 and 24 in. Hg.) But was still not developing full power the pilot expected from the turbocharged engine. Because of the engine power loss the pilot was concerned whether he could effect a go-around if necessary. This airport is at 5037 ft MSL and is a gravel surfaced 4200 FL long runway. The pilot elected to descend in a spiral overhead the runway and landed successfully on runway 25. No damage was doned to the aircraft and passengers aboard were uninjured. Once the aircraft had landed successfully, the pilot attempted to run the engine up but again was only able to produce 22 to 24 in. Hg. Manifold pressure. He shut the engine down and removed the cowling to perform a visual check of the engine compartment. After close examination it was determined that the left hand turbocharger blower had seized. Maintenance was performed on the aircraft on 12/03/09 at tach. Reading 4170.1. Left hand turbocharger was removed and overhauled unit was installed. Engine oil was changed and engine run revealed the engine was able to develop full power. Turbocharger unit was sent to repair station main turbo who determined the turbocharger shaft was broken and the “hot side” had several blades missing. The unit was determined to be beyond economical repair.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM FALCON FIELD (FFZ) TO LUBBOCK TX. (LUB). AIRCRAFT HAD CLIIMBED TO FL190 TO CLEAR WEATHER AND OVERCAST, AND WAS CRUISING WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING RPM. PILOT STATEMANT WAS THAT THE ENGINE “JUST ROLLED BACK LIKE A TURBINE ENGINE WITH NO THRUST” BUT NEVER QUIT RUNNING. ATTEMPTS TO CLEAR ENGINE AND GAIN POWER BY MAKING CHANGES TO FUEL PUMP AND ALTERNATE AIR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AIRCRAFT BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE AND PILOT CONTACTED ATC (ZAB) AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. ZAB DIRECTED THEM TO WHITE RIVER INITIALLY, BUT THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY AND TERRAIN SURROUNDING THAT RUNWAY DETERMINED THAT ANOTHER AIRPORT SHOULD BE USED. ZAB THEN DIRECTED THE PILOT TO CIBECUE (Z95) AIRPORT. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE AREA OF Z95 AND BEGAN A CIRCULAR DESCENT STAYING AWAY FROM CLOUDS UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO SEE THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 10,000 FT. MSL. HE THEN NOTED THAT THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE FROM THE ENGINE INSTRUMENT HAD INCREASED (TO BETWEEN 22 AND 24 IN.HG.) BUT WAS STILL NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER THE PILOT EXPECTED FROM THE TURBOCHARGED ENGINE. BECAUSE OF THE ENGINE POWER LOSS THE PILOT WAS CONCERNED WHETHER HE COULD EFFECT A GO-AROUND IF NECESSARY. THIS AIRPORT IS AT 5037 FT MSL AND IS A GRAVEL SURFACED 4200 FL LONG RUNWAY. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DESCEND IN A SPIRAL OVERHEAD THE RUNWAY AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY ON RUNWAY 25. NO DAMAGE WAS DONED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND PASSENGERS ABOARD WERE UNINJURED. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED SUCCESSFULLY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RUN THE ENGINE UP BUT AGAIN WAS ONLY ABLE TO PRODUCE 22 TO 24 IN.HG. MANIFOLD PRESSURE. HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND REMOVED THE COWLING TO PERFORM A VISUAL CHECK OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER CLOSE EXAMINATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT HAND TURBOCHARGER BLOWER HAD SEIZED. MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT ON 12/03/09 AT TACH. READING 4170.1. LEFT HAND TURBOCHARGER WAS REMOVED AND OVERHAULED UNIT WAS INSTALLED. ENGINE OIL WAS CHANGED AND ENGINE RUN REVEALED THE ENGINE WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP FULL POWER. TURBOCHARGER UNIT WAS SENT TO REPAIR STATION MAIN TURBO WHO DETERMINED THE TURBOCHARGER SHAFT WAS BROKEN AND THE “HOT SIDE” HAD SEVERAL BLADES MISSING. THE UNIT WAS DETERMINED TO BE BEYOND ECONOMICAL REPAIR.