Service difficulty report · Cylinder Head · Piper PA23250

Difficulty date
February 7, 2005
Submitted
February 7, 2005
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N62BA
Make and model
Piper PA23250
Aircraft serial
274859
Engine
Lyc IO540C4B5
Part
Cylinder Head
Part number
LW12425
Part serial
1755
Condition
Cracked
Location
Engine
Part time
2,588 hours
Stage of operation
DE
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
R
Precautionary procedure
E

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

DESCENDING IN FLIGHT NR 3 CYL ON RT ENG FAILED. ENG WAS SHUTDOWN AND FEATHERED. AC LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO FIRE. POST INCIDENT INSP OF AREA FOUND, CYLINDER HAD CRACKED AND DISLOCATED AT INTERFACE AREA OF STEEL BARREL AND CYLINDER HEAD. INTAKE PUSHROD HAD SEPARATED AND WAS LYING ON THE CYLINDER HEAD, WITH CONSIDERABLE OIL LOSS. FURTHER INSP FOUND ENGINE BAFFLING INTACT AND CORRECTLY POSITIONED. CYLINDER PRESENTED NO OBVIOUS FLAWS AT THE MOST RECENT INSP, WITH OIL CONSUMPTION AND COMPRESSION WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT A DEFECT IN CYLINDER REPAIR PROCESS (I.E., GRINDING) ALLOWED AN ABNORMAL STRESS CONCENTRATION TO CAUSE A FAILURE. CYL WAS REGROUND AND HONED TO P.010. (K)

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