What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Thursday may 5, 2016 departing gillespie at approximately 10:15 am for a flight to kedc (austin executive). With 3 passengers on board. The flight had been cleared to climb to requested enroute altitude of FL210. Power was set to cruise climb: 35", 35GPH, 2400RPM. At approximately 10:35 local (flight time approximately 20 min) the aircraft experienced a significant but partial loss of power (mp dropped from 35" to 18") aircraft position at this time was approximately 25 miles west of Imperial, altitude was approximately 14,500 feet. The pilot immediately lowered the nose to level flight, trimmed for best glide speed and requested vectors to the nearest airport, center provided this for nas el centro (approximately 22 miles). Following the "lost power" checklist including boost pump on, switch tanks, switch magnetos, made the recommended throttle & mixture adjustments. Power was not restored. Pilot concluded turbocharger failure was the most likely cause. Then following the Piper checklist for turbo failure including mixture to lean. Nothing raised mp above current level (18-19"). Approximately 7-8 minutes after power loss pilot observed a continuous drop in oil pressure. Calculating they would arrive at either el centro or ipl with plenty of altitude, reduced power to near-idle in the hopes of saving the engine for use during landing if needed, the pilot completed an uneventful landing on runway 26 at ipl. At no time after power reduction did oil pressure drop below normal (green) operating range, although an aircraft on the ground reported seeing large clouds of smoke coming from the aircraft. After shutdown a visuall inspected of the aircraft found large accumulations of oil on the belly, antennas and dripping from the right exhaust stacks.
As the FAA filed it
ON THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 DEPARTING GILLESPIE AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15 AM FOR A FLIGHT TO KEDC (AUSTIN EXECUTIVE). WITH 3 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CLIMB TO REQUESTED ENROUTE ALTITUDE OF FL210. POWER WAS SET TO CRUISE CLIMB: 35", 35GPH, 2400RPM. AT APPROXIMATELY 10:35 LOCAL (FLIGHT TIME APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN) THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT BUT PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER (MP DROPPED FROM 35" TO 18") AIRCRAFT POSITION AT THIS TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES WEST OF IMPERIAL, ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,500 FEET.THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE NOSE TO LEVEL FLIGHT, TRIMMED FOR BEST GLIDE SPEED AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, CENTER PROVIDED THIS FOR NAS EL CENTRO (APPROXIMATELY 22 MILES). FOLLOWING THE "LOST POWER" CHECKLIST INCLUDING BOOST PUMP ON, SWITCH TANKS, SWITCH MAGNETOS, MADE THE RECOMMENDED THROTTLE & MIXTURE ADJUSTMENTS. POWER WAS NOT RESTORED. PILOT CONCLUDED TURBOCHARGER FAILURE WAS THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE. THEN FOLLOWING THE PIPER CHECKLIST FOR TURBO FAILURE INCLUDING MIXTURE TO LEAN. NOTHING RAISED MP ABOVE CURRENT LEVEL (18-19"). APPROXIMATELY 7-8 MINUTES AFTER POWER LOSS PILOT OBSERVED A CONTINUOUS DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. CALCULATING THEY WOULD ARRIVE AT EITHER EL CENTRO OR IPL WITH PLENTY OF ALTITUDE, REDUCED POWER TO NEAR-IDLE IN THE HOPES OF SAVING THE ENGINE FOR USE DURING LANDING IF NEEDED, THE PILOT COMPLETED AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON RUNWAY 26 AT IPL. AT NO TIME AFTER POWER REDUCTION DID OIL PRESSURE DROP BELOW NORMAL (GREEN) OPERATING RANGE, ALTHOUGH AN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING LARGE CLOUDS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER SHUTDOWN A VISUALL INSPECTED OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND LARGE ACCUMULATIONS OF OIL ON THE BELLY, ANTENNAS AND DRIPPING FROM THE RIGHT EXHAUST STACKS.
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