Service difficulty report · Engine · Piper PA31

Difficulty date
December 15, 2004
Submitted
March 3, 2005
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA31
Aircraft time
12,804 hours
Engine
Lyc TIO540A2B
Propeller
Hartzl HCE3YR2A
Part
Engine
Condition
Failed
Location
Left
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

(CAN) AFTER TAKEOFF THE LT ENGINE ENCOUNTERED RPM FLUCTUATIONS, THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE MECHANICS, THE PILOTS DRAINED THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN AND CARRIED OUT A GROUND RUN. EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RIGHT AFTER THE TANKS WERE FILLED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO BASE, WE VERIFIED AND CLEANED ALL THE INJECTORS AND DRAINED THE AIRCRAFT, ALL THE ENGINE FUEL LINES WERE PURGED AS WELL. THERE WAS NO WATER IN THE TANKS AND NO INJECTORS WERE CLOGGED.

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