Service difficulty report · Fuel Sys · Bolkms BK117A4

Difficulty date
October 25, 2010
Submitted
October 27, 2010
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N627AM
Make and model
Bolkms BK117A4
Aircraft serial
7017
Aircraft time
10,163 hours
Engine
Lyc LTS101650B1
Engine time
9,806 hours
Part
Fuel Sys
Condition
Contaminated
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
W, X, J
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

ACFT HAD UNDERGONE FUEL QTY INDICATOR CALIBRATION 2 DAYS PREVIOUSLY. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START ENGINES, NEITHER ENGINE WOULD START. MX DETERMINED FUEL SYS HAD NOT BEEN PURGED OF AIR AFTER PREVIOUS WORK COMPLETED. FUEL LINES OF BOTH ENGINES WERE PURGED & BOTH ENGINES STARTED NORMALLY. ACFT POSITIONED FOR TAKEOFF & AFTER REACHING APPROX 5-10 KNOTS, NR 1 ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING. PILOT ABLE TO GAIN AIRSPEED & RECOVER TO AIRPORT WHICH WAS A FIVE MINUTE FLT FROM TAKEOFF TO LANDING. NR 1 ENGINE AGAIN PURGED WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF AIR STILL IN LINE. NR 1 ENGINE AGAIN STARTED BUT SIGNIFICANT FLUCTUATIONS IN TOT DURING START. AFTER RUNNING ENGINE FOR APPROX 10 MINS & HOVERING FOR SEVERAL MINS, ACFT REPOSITIONED BACK TO ORIGINAL AIRPORT. DURING SUBSEQUENT STARTS, WHILE ASSISTING MX TROUBLE SHOOTING, TOT CONTINUED TO FLUCTUATE ABNORMALLY DURING START. FUEL FILTER BOWL REMOVED, INSPECTED, REINSTALLED, & REBLED. SUBSEQUENT ENGINE STARTS NON-EVENTS.