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20110524010279I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Portland, OR · May 24, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 24, 2011 · 22:18 local
Place
Portland, OR
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
JIKA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N35336
Reported as
Piper PA-31-350
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N35336Registration cancelled Aug 20, 2025 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-7952189 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350Engine 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.

Shortly after receiving clearence for landing, the pilot noticed that there appeared to be flames coming from inside the right engine, near the inboard exhaust manifold. The pilot declared an emergency and requested the fire trucks be dispatched. Immediately after touchdown, the pilot shut down the #2 engine. After exiting the runway onto the taxiway, the pilot shut down the #1 engine and evacuated the aircraft. Maintenance inspected the aircraft, and found the hydraulic filter bowl that is mounted on the inboard side of the firewall of the right engine to be cracked at the threads, causing the hydraulic fluid to leak onto the exhaust manifold. The filter bowl was replaced. Total time on the bowil is unknown. Only minor heat damage to a few wires in the engine compartment and slight blistering of the paint under the nacelle. Inspection of the cracked filter bowl showed evidence of scorring on the side of the bowl. These marks are consistent with the teeth on a large pair of pliers that had been used to remove or install the bowl on several previous occasions. When the operator was asked how the filter bowl is removed and/or installed to change the filter, they replied that there are "flats" on the bowl for a wrench or a crow's foot wrench, and that there is no torque value for tightening the bowl during installation. When asked about the scorring on the side of the bowl that appears to be made by a pair of pliers, the operator replied that is not an approved method. They also indicated that they have called Piper to get a torque value for tightening the bowl. When they get a torque value they will include it along with specific tool requirements that are to be used when removing or installing the filter bowl in a revision to the aaip for the Piper fleet.a review of the maintenance procedures in the Piper PA-31 maintenance manual that cover the replacement of the hydraulic filter do not include any torque value when installing the filter bowl. The instructions state that after a new filter element is installed to half-fill the bowl with hydraulic fluid (to minimize air in the hydraulic system), safety wire the filter bowl and perform a leak check.

As the FAA filed it

SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING CLEARENCE FOR LANDING, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE FLAMES COMING FROM INSIDE THE RIGHT ENGINE, NEAR THE INBOARD EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED THE FIRE TRUCKS BE DISPATCHED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENGINE.AFTER EXITING THE RUNWAY ONTO THE TAXIWAY, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENGINE AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, AND FOUND THE HYDRAULIC FILTER BOWL THAT IS MOUNTED ON THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE FIREWALL OF THE RIGHT ENGINE TO BE CRACKED AT THE THREADS, CAUSING THE HYDRAULIC FLUID TO LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE FILTER BOWL WAS REPLACED. TOTAL TIME ON THE BOWIL IS UNKNOWN. ONLY MINOR HEAT DAMAGE TO A FEW WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SLIGHT BLISTERING OF THE PAINT UNDER THE NACELLE.INSPECTION OF THE CRACKED FILTER BOWL SHOWED EVIDENCE OF SCORRING ON THE SIDE OF THE BOWL. THESE MARKS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE TEETH ON A LARGE PAIR OF PLIERS THAT HAD BEEN USED TO REMOVE OR INSTALL THE BOWL ON SEVERAL PREVIOUS OCCASIONS.WHEN THE OPERATOR WAS ASKED HOW THE FILTER BOWL IS REMOVED AND/OR INSTALLED TO CHANGE THE FILTER, THEY REPLIED THAT THERE ARE "FLATS" ON THE BOWL FOR A WRENCH OR A CROW'S FOOT WRENCH, AND THAT THERE IS NO TORQUE VALUE FOR TIGHTENING THE BOWL DURING INSTALLATION. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE SCORRING ON THE SIDE OF THE BOWL THAT APPEARS TO BE MADE BY A PAIR OF PLIERS, THE OPERATOR REPLIED THAT IS NOT AN APPROVED METHOD. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE CALLED PIPER TO GET A TORQUE VALUE FOR TIGHTENING THE BOWL. WHEN THEY GET A TORQUE VALUE THEY WILL INCLUDE IT ALONG WITH SPECIFIC TOOL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE TO BE USED WHEN REMOVING OR INSTALLING THE FILTER BOWL IN A REVISION TO THE AAIP FOR THE PIPER FLEET.A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES IN THE PIPER PA-31 MAINTENANCE MANUAL THAT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HYDRAULIC FILTER DO NOT INCLUDE ANY TORQUE VALUE WHEN INSTALLING THE FILTER BOWL. THE INSTRUCTIONS STATE THAT AFTER A NEW FILTER ELEMENT IS INSTALLED TO HALF-FILL THE BOWL WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID (TO MINIMIZE AIR IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM), SAFETY WIRE THE FILTER BOWL AND PERFORM A LEAK CHECK.