Service difficulty report · Gear Assy Idler · Piper PA31

Difficulty date
January 29, 1996
Submitted
March 26, 2000
Operation
Air carrier
Make and model
Piper PA31
Engine
Lyc TIO540A2C
Part
Gear Assy Idler
Part number
71664
Condition
Missing Teeth
Location
Fuel Pump
Part time
43,620 hours
Stage of operation
CR
Nature of condition
Y, E
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

(CAN)IN CRUISE THERE WAS A SLIGHT ROUGHNESS FROM #1 ENGINE,FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY ENGINE STOPPAGE & PROP FEATHERING.THE CREW SECURED THE ENGINE & THE FLIGHT WAS COMPLETED WITH AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENGINE LAND ING.UPON ENGINE DISASSEMBLY,THE FUEL PUMP IDLER GEAR WAS FOUND TO HAVE TEETH MISSING & HAD JAMMED AGAINST THE FUEL PUMP GEARSHAFT DUE TO TOOTH MISALIGNMENT BREAKING THE FUEL PUMP DRIVE ADAPTER ASSEMBLY (P/N LW-103240).THIS ADAPTER CRACKED THROUGH THE OIL PRESSURE GALLEY & ALLOWED OIL TO DISHCARGE OVERBOARD VIA THE FUEL SEAL DRAIN.THE OIL LOSS APPEARED TO HAVE TAKEN ONLY A FEW MINUTES,BUT RESULTED IN PROGRESSIVE CONNECTING ROD BEARING FAILURE FROM #6 TOWARDS #2 & ENGINE SEIZURE.THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED.

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