Service difficulty report · Magnetic Plug · Snias AS350B2

Difficulty date
May 20, 2014
Submitted
March 12, 2015
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Snias AS350B2
Aircraft time
9,694 hours
Engine
Tmeca ARRIEL1D1
Part
Magnetic Plug
Part number
70BM055420
Condition
Damaged
Location
Engine
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

(CAN) AT A SM EVENT, SIGNIFICANT METAL WAS NOTED ON THE M05 MAG PLUG AND THE MAG PLUG. NO CHIP LIGHT ILLUMINATION HAD OCCURRED DURING OPERATION, HOWEVER IT APPEARED TO BE IMMINENT. FILTERS AND OIL WERE CHANGED AND A 20 MIN GROUND RUN WAS CARRIED OUT IAW THE MM. NO CHIP INDICATIONS WERE NOTED DURING THE RUN, HOWEVER NEARLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF METAL WAS FOUND ON THE SHIP DETECTORS. SAMPLES WERE SENT FOR LABORATORY ANALYSIS AND MFG SERVICE ENGINEERING CONCLUDED THE M05 WAS THE CAUSE. UPON DISMANTLING OF THE ENGINE TO SWITCH MODULES M05 AND M01, M01 WAS SWAPPED DUE TO CROSS CONTAMINATION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF METAL FOUND INSIDE THE M05. WITH NO CHIP INDICATIONS IN SERVICE, THIS SUGGESTS SOMETHING WAS VERY RAPIDLY DETERIORATING, LIKELY THE CAUSE, ONLY BEGAN DURING THE LAST NR OF MINUTES IN FLIGHT. WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THE M05 IS THE HIGHEST CAUSE FOR ENGINE UNSCHEDULED REMOVAL, AND OF THOSE CASES THE MOST COMMON CAUSE WAS THE TRIPLEX BEARING. THIS M05 WAS ACTUALLY POST TU 332, REPLACEMENT OF THE TRIPLEX BEARING WITH A SINGLE BALL BEARING. ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE METAL GENERATION.