This may get long if you bore easily- The ending first for those that
won't be able to read the details-
The pilot is fine - Airframe is fine- The engine is unknown at
this time.
History
About 4 weeks ago I noticed an oil pressure drop while waiting
for take off at an away field. The drop was substantial to me as normal
idle is above 35# and the alarm went off at 20#. Pressure came right back
up with an increase in throttle. I flew it home that morning and raised
the question here on the list. I investigated everything that was
suggested from that. The pressure remained constant although slightly
lower than the previous levels by about 4 or 5#. Normal full throttle was
now about 42#. I flew for several more hours over the next week or so and
no further cause for alarm
The plane was out of service for the past 2 weeks for it's annual
already. During that time I preformed many normal preventive tasks. With
respect to the engine - oil and filter, cylinder leakage test tune up,
timing, and check all blots nuts and screws, plus retorque the prop. I
finished up the inspection on Friday and signed N357CJ back into service.
Saturday morning I took her for a test flight. All temps and
pressures were in the normal ranges as I took off to the west. I climbed
to 4500' with everything staying normal. I was watching temps for head
and exhaust all along. I was watching head because I had added 2 small
deflectors on the inside of the cowl in an attempt to get more air on the
middle cylinders on both sides. That appeared to be working as the head
temps in the climb were all just over 400 deg. and as I recall within 10
or 15 deg of each other. Oil temp in the climb was 225 deg. The exhaust
was being monitored because I had just installed a new mixture meter.
Shortly after leveling off and while fooling with the mixture
meter the alarm light came on the EIS. I almost ignored it as It has
been a constant problem to get accurate RPM numbers as the instrument
temp increased. I glanced at it and saw it was a high oil temps warning
and the temp was at 275 deg.
I reduced throttle and went full rich and started a turn back home at the
same time. I was already between 10 to 15 miles out. The temps dropped
very quickly (about 5 or 6 seconds) I continued to circle while I tried
to figure out what might be happening. The temps dropped to the normal of
about 215 deg. I leveled out and thought about weather to continue on or
not when it did it again, this time hitting 300 deg. I again reduced
throttle hit the GPS for route home and turned on course. The temps again
returned to normal very quick and remained that way for the remainder of
the flight and landing and in fact lower more yet on decent which would
be normal. All this time the engine never skipped a beat and no other
number deviated from normal including oil pressure.
I had all day to think about this plus a new EIS replacement to
install this morning. The only thing that I found that I thought might
make the oil temp act like that was it,appeared that a piece of the alum.
baffling might be touching the sender wire. I isolated that and installed
the new EIS. The new EIS has absolutely rock solid RPM readings and
checked out with the digital tach during warm up. The oil pressure at
idle was 37 psi.
After run up I called a take off to remain in the pattern. The
oil pressure was low to mid 40's oil temp was about 145. I was off the
ground in about 500' and started a shallow climb while speed increased to
about 83 mph and then increased climb to 900f/m. I was treating this as a
test flight and doing this on purpose for cooling. This climb and around
the patch was uneventful and all in the correct readings. In fact on down
wind I remember thinking how smooth and well the engine was running. I
landed and taxied back to go again. This time I was satisfied that I
could climb straight out and repeat Saturdays flight to see if I could
get a repeat or if the wire had indeed been the problem.
This time I gave it full throttle upon turning on the runway and
lifted off at 65 indicated and stayed shallow till it hit 80 and then set
in to an 1100'/min climb. At 150' I did the required turn to 310 deg
from run way 29 for noise abatement. As I always do I take a look over my
left shoulder and take note of my altitude over the trees at the
departure end. It is always about 400' agl that I look back at the
instruments with the thought that if something happened now I would turn
back. I had the opportunity to glance at the EIS again at this time and
the rpm was 2870, oil pressure was 41#, and oil temp was 185 deg. climb
was 1100'/min and airspeed was 80 mph. It was only maybe 3 or 4 seconds
from the time I had glanced over my shoulder until then when I heard a
big POP (bang) and the prop stopped at 11 o'clock position. There is that
brief second of disbelief before the action set in. I knew the plan
because it had been decide only seconds before hand. I lowered the nose
and started the left turn in one smooth motion.
It never entered my mind to try a restart and in after thought that would
have been a fatal decision. I was cross wind very fast and at this moment
I called engine out and returning to the runway 11. While doing that I
check airspeed and assessed the altitude. I was slow and lowered the
nose slightly. I was actually to high (if that can be said) and to close
to the end. I did a 160 turn and added flaps. I was inside the tree line
by now but still higher than I wanted to be. Added more flaps and started
a shallow S turn to get down near the end of the runway. Checked speed
again and again was a little slow (like just above 60mph).
completed the S turn right on center line of 11 and added the rest of
flaps. I touched down about 700' down the runway with about 5mph tailwind
on a down slope. (I never thought that I would actually keep it on the
runway from this direction) As soon as the mains touched I applied full
brakes and hauled back on the stick for aero braking. I coasted on to the
taxiway at the end and called for some help to get her off the strip.
When I got out I saw fuel pouring out of the cowl. I had not
thought to turn it off.
Back at the hanger I remove the cowl and stated looking for any sign of
the problem. I have not removed any parts yet or turned the prop around.
The prop does move and the flex plate moves at the same time at the other
end (no broken crank) no oil leakage no holes in the block- No idea yet!
In hind sight there are a few things that went my way for this
good out come.
First and by far the most important was the plane got me high enough to
make this happen
Second I was holding slight back pressure on the stick during climb -
this made lowering the nose much easier.
Third having already decided what was going to happen if -saved time
Fourth I have to thank 20 years of hang gliding that taught me how to get
from point A to point B no matter what it takes
Fifth- several times I heard in my head fly the plane
I'm headed back to see what I can find. And nope wasn't scared -
no time for that.
Joe Horton, Coopersburg, Pa.
joe.kr2s.buil...@juno.com
BTW -- In answer to the one comment I go to Church almost every
Sunday and I have been convinced for many reasons for many years now that
GOD must have more plans for me. I have been stupid many times before.
