Service difficulty report · Oil System · Piper PA31350

Difficulty date
August 27, 2011
Submitted
August 30, 2011
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N3LA
Make and model
Piper PA31350
Aircraft serial
318052064
Aircraft time
8,005 hours
Engine
Lyc TIO540J2BD
Engine time
11,087 hours
Propeller
Hartzl HCE3YR2A
Part
Oil System
Condition
Leaking
Location
Rt Engine
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J, B, F
Precautionary procedure
E, A

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

What was found

AFTER DEPARTURE, WHILE IN THE CLIMB, ACFT EXPERIENCED SMOKE COMING FROM THE RT ENGINE COWL LOUVER DOORS AND VISIBLY HAD OIL EXITING THE ENGINE COWL UPPER DOOR (OIL FILL ACCESS) AND THE INBD SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLS. THE ENGINE WAS SECURED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO DEPARTURE, AFTER LANDING AND WHILE THE ACFT WAS TAXING ONTO THE RAMP THE OIL THAT HAD EXITED THE ENGINE AND COLLECTED ON THE TURBO-CHARGER HEAT SHIELD (BLANKET) IGNITED AS THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP AND WAS RAPIDLY EXTINGUISHED BY THE DOM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL DIPSTICK HAD NOT BEEN SECURED ALLOWING OIL TO EXIT THE ENGINE OUT THE OIL FILL TUBE. DIPSTICK WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED BY THE LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL AND (PIC) AFTER IT WAS SERVICED. TRAINING REVIEW TO VERIFY THAT THE DIPSTICK IS PROPERLY SECURED WITH BOTH THE LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL AND THE PILOT INVOLVED.

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