Service difficulty report · Carburetor · Amtr SEAREY

Difficulty date
March 28, 2019
Submitted
March 28, 2019
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N177C
Make and model
Amtr SEAREY
Aircraft serial
1056
Aircraft time
90 hours
Engine
Rotax ROTAX912UL
Engine time
90 hours
Part
Carburetor
Part number
892535
Condition
Contaminated
Location
Enginie
Part time
90 hours
Component
Engine · Rotax · 914UL
Stage of operation
TO
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
R
Precautionary procedure
C

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

What was found

ON TAKEOFF THE ENGINE BECAME ROUGH AND LOST POWER. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE FOUND MULTIPLE ISSUES, INCLUDING IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AND FUEL SYSTEM CONTAMINATION. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF POWER FAILURE WAS CONTAMINATION RESTRICTING FUEL FLOW IN ONE CARBURETOR. THE A/C HAD BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF INSIDE STORAGE, WITH AN ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION COMPLETED 11/15/2018 (TTAE 41). IT WAS RELOCATED AND FLOWN. PRIOR TO FLYING, ONE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. AFTER THE INCIDENT AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY AN A&P. THE ENGINE RAN AT IDLE BUT BECAME EXTREMELY ROUGH AT ANY RPM ABOVE 3500. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SECOND FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED DUE TO INTERNAL CORROSION AND EXTENSIVE CONTAMINATION WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL, POSSIBLY ACETOBACTOR BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH FUEL CONTAINING ETHANOL. BOTH CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL ATTACHMENT SCREWS WERE OVERTIGHTENED, WARPING THE BOWLS AND FLOAT PINS, CAUSING THE FLOATS TO CONTACT THE BOWLS. THE MAIN JET BODIES WERE JAMMED AGAINST THE BOWL BOTTOMS. ONE FLOAT ATTACHMENT BRACKET REGULATING FUEL FLOW WAS JAMMED IN A CLOSED POSITION. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS FOUND TO HAVE EXTENSIVE INTERNAL CORROSION. THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPARKPLUGS WERE INSTALLED AND NONE WERE PROPERLY GAPPED. AFTER REPLACING THE CARBURETORS, FUEL PUMP AND PRESSURE REGULATOR, PLUS INSTALLATION OF NEW PROPERLY GAPPED PLUGS, THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY.