What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was enroute from ruby star airport (14AZ) to falcon field at approximately 6500 ft MSL when the engine began running rough and oil covered the windshield. The pilot stated the engine began to shudder & then it got quiet. The pilot reported ?mayday? (Having an emergency) and was directed by phx approach to contact to mesa-gateway (iwa) when he was approximately 13 miles south of iwa. He told controller that he would not be able to make the airport and decided to land at Pegasus airport.
Pilot was able to glide safely to Pegasus airport and landed without further incident.
A mechanic looked the engine over once on the ground and found a hole punched in the upper LH side of the engine case. Later inspection of engine found the #2 cyl exhaust valve tappet had the back end missing, and was laying loose in the engine case. There were two other cracks found in the engine case - on the back of #4 cyl & front of #2 cyl. The propeller was able to rotate, but #1 piston was not moving in the cylinder, and the top sparkplug had aluminum chips in it.
The damaged aircraft engine was removed from the airframe and a replacement engine with 50 hours time soh was installed on the aircraft. The aircraft is currently back up & flying without any further issues.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM RUBY STAR AIRPORT (14AZ) TO FALCON FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 6500 FT MSL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND OIL COVERED THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHUDDER & THEN IT GOT QUIET. THE PILOT REPORTED ?MAYDAY? (HAVING AN EMERGENCY) AND WAS DIRECTED BY PHX APPROACH TO CONTACT TO MESA-GATEWAY (IWA) WHEN HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 13 MILES SOUTH OF IWA. HE TOLD CONTROLLER THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE AIRPORT AND DECIDED TO LAND AT PEGASUS AIRPORT.
PILOT WAS ABLE TO GLIDE SAFELY TO PEGASUS AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
A MECHANIC LOOKED THE ENGINE OVER ONCE ON THE GROUND AND FOUND A HOLE PUNCHED IN THE UPPER LH SIDE OF THE ENGINE CASE. LATER INSPECTION OF ENGINE FOUND THE #2 CYL EXHAUST VALVE TAPPET HAD THE BACK END MISSING, AND WAS LAYING LOOSE IN THE ENGINE CASE. THERE WERE TWO OTHER CRACKS FOUND IN THE ENGINE CASE - ON THE BACK OF #4 CYL & FRONT OF #2 CYL. THE PROPELLER WAS ABLE TO ROTATE, BUT #1 PISTON WAS NOT MOVING IN THE CYLINDER, AND THE TOP SPARKPLUG HAD ALUMINUM CHIPS IN IT.
THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND A REPLACEMENT ENGINE WITH 50 HOURS TIME SOH WAS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY BACK UP & FLYING WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ISSUES.
Other reports on N1273U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.