20110225009129I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Houma, LA · February 25, 2011

Date: February 25, 2011 · 07:00 local
Place: Houma, LA
Airport: Houma-Terrebonne
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N350AA
Reported as: Piper PA-31-350
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

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.

While climbing through 2,700 MSL for 6,000 MSL, pilot heard the left engine make an unusual noise, with corresponding decrease in left engine manifold pressure. A visual check of the left engine revealed oil pouring out of the engine cowling, followed shortly by a fire in the engine cowling. The pilot shut down the left engine and feathered the left propeller. Shortly thereafter, the fire extinguished. The flight landed back at hum without further incident. Post incident teardown of engine revealed that engine failure was caused by the failure of a counterweight plate, part number 71907.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 2,700 MSL FOR 6,000 MSL, PILOT HEARD THE LEFT ENGINE MAKE AN UNUSUAL NOISE, WITH CORRESPONDING DECREASE IN LEFT ENGINE MANIFOLD PRESSURE. A VISUAL CHECK OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED OIL POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE COWLING, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COWLING. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AND FEATHERED THE LEFT PROPELLER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED. THE FLIGHT LANDED BACK AT HUM WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POST INCIDENT TEARDOWN OF ENGINE REVEALED THAT ENGINE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF A COUNTERWEIGHT PLATE, PART NUMBER 71907.