Service difficulty report · Ball Joint · Piper PA31350

Difficulty date
January 4, 2012
Submitted
January 6, 2012
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N29UM
Make and model
Piper PA31350
Aircraft serial
317652127
Aircraft time
25,358 hours, 23,295 cycles
Part
Ball Joint
Part number
54175000
Condition
Broken
Location
Rt Engine
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ON CLIMBOUT, ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AT APPROX 6500FT RT ENGINE PROP RPM SUDDENLY WENT TO REDLINE. BROUGHT RT PROP LEVER BACK WHICH HAD NO EFFECT ON THE PROP RPM. REDUCED RT THROTTLE TO BRING THE RPM DOWN TO 2500. NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND WAS ADVISED TO RETURN. DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH DEPARTURE AND RETURNED AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MX INSPECTED RT PROP CONTROL SYSTEM AND FOUND THE BALL JOINT P/N 54175-000 BROKEN AT THE ATTACH POINT ON THE PROP GOVERNOR INPUT LEVER. THE BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. TIME IN SERVICE ON THE BALL JOINT IS UNKNOWN.

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