This amendment is prompted by reports of crankshaft failures, and by the addition of additional crankshaft serial numbers (SN) that have been added to the suspect population. Compliance with this service bulletin is mandatory per AD 91-14-22. 01/17/2023, 159 the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for Sep 28, 2016. All rights reserved. In this case however, there is an existing AD for quite a few differentLycoming engines that specifically mentions prop strikes and mandates some degree of tear down, but not necessarily a full tear down, and only if it is a prop strike as opposed to a sudden stoppage. The rationale for this hub retirement criteria revolves around the fact that forces great enough to bend blades beyond their respective repair limits represent loads that are in excess of those that the hubs were designed to withstand, while providing sufficient structural safety margins.". This AD, defines a propeller strike as follows: (i) For the purposes of this AD, a propeller strike is defined as follows: (1) Any incident, whether or not the engine is operating, that requires repair to the propeller other than minor blade dressing. All of the fractures have been grouped around certain manufacturing dates between April 1, 1998, and March 31, 2000, inclusive. Any decision to operate an engine which was involved in a sudden stoppage, propeller/rotor strike or loss of propeller/rotor blade or tip without such an inspection must be the responsibility of the agency returning the aircraft to service. developer tools pages. They are often ignored in the prop-strike evaluation, yet they have prescribed inspection criteria even if involved in only a sudden stoppage. Its also important to point out that this is not the only Lycoming bulletinthat discusses prop strikes. Talking about whether to have the engine overhauled or just inspected, Tunnel said it can be penciled out. Federal Register. Service bulletins are one thing, but the real information comes from the people working in the field. TCM mandatory service bulletin (MSB) 005B, dated May 25, 2000, and MSB 005C, dated October 10, 2000, were issued to include the SN's of those additional suspect crankshafts. John Schwaner, author of the Sky Ranch Engineering Manual, a must have for all those interested in aircraft engines, and owner of Sacramento Sky Ranch, in Sacramento, California, said the quandary is, "How do you know if something is good or not? More than the prop and crankshaft Maybe it is and maybe it isn't." I won't list them all here, but some of the more expensive ones are: hydraulic valve lifters, connecting rod bearings, the crankshaft's main and thrust bearings, all needle, ball, and roller bearings, exhaust valves, valve springs, piston pins, pistons, crankcase through bolts, all the hardware, seals, gaskets, O-rings, and lots of other small stuff. Following any propeller strike, complete disassembly and inspection of all rotating engine components is mandatory and must be accomplished prior to further flight. We see flyweights and connecting hardware, in some designs, brutalized quite frequently by sudden stoppage. The actions are required to be accomplished in accordance with the service bulletin described previously. One, "A sudden rpm drop while impacting water, tall grass, or similar yielding medium, where propeller damage is not normally incurred." include documents scheduled for later issues, at the request The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal A propeller strike is dangerous, not only because it damages the propeller but also because it can Nitride hardened cranks have a greater tendency to crack, since the nitride hardened materials resist bending. You could identify its sound with your eyes closed. The engine makers seem to agree quite strongly as does the FAA. Prior to any ground operation of the engine assure that the propeller flange and the crankshaft flange area are free of any crack indications in addition to the engine component inspection. My investigation started with my need for another engine for my Cessna 210. on Per the Lycoming website it is still an active bulletin, which we quote in part as follows: On numerous occasions Textron Lycoming has been consulted about recommendations on whether to continue using an aircraft engine that has been involved in the separation of the propeller/rotor blade from the hub, the loss of a propeller/rotor blade tip or sudden stoppage following accidental propeller/rotor damage (such as propeller/rotor strike). by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Studies have shown that a 100-amp alternator can impose a. Basically the fuel gauges in the center console are shorting out. (a) For those engines and crankshafts listed by SN in TCM MSB 00-5C, dated October 10, 2000, do the crankshaft material inspection (crankshaft propeller flange core sample) as follows: The engine SN's listed in TCM MSB 00-5C contain only the numerical portion of the SN. 01/17/2023, 249 This AD, defines a propeller strike as follows: (i) For the purposes of this AD, a propeller strike is defined as follows: (1) Any incident, whether or not the engine is operating, that requires repair to the propeller other than minor blade dressing. Now that I had a definition, what would I have to do about such an event? He used a football analogy of a player who can be brutally tackled and get right up, then trip over a bucket and break his leg. are not part of the published document itself. and services, go to FIND A DEALER. electronic version on GPOs govinfo.gov. In fact it is a very insidious situation since there is often no obvious damage-no harm, no foul so to speak. The service information referenced in this AD may be obtained from Teledyne Continental Motors, PO Box 90, Mobile, AL 36601; telephone toll free 1-888-200-7565, or on the TCM internet site www.tcmlink.com. This information may be examined at the FAA, New England Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA; or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC. When a prop strike incident occured, standard industry accesptance was to have the mechanic remove the propeller and dial indicator, "or check the crankshaft flange for being out of limits." TCM-powered aircraft operating under Part 135 of the FARs that have to comply with all manufacturers service bulletins would have to comply with Service Bulletin 96-11B, dealing with prop strikes, dated July 2008, requiring total Lycoming's Service Bulletin 475B requires that in the event that the engine has experienced a propeller strike, inspection and possible rework of the accessory gear train as well as the rear of the engine's crankshaft is required. Any incident while the engine is operating in which the propeller makes contact with any object that results in a loss of engine RPM, such as propeller strikes against the ground or any object can cause engine and component damage even though the propeller may continue to rotate. FAA# JL4R288M | EASA.145.4115 | Toll Free: 800-282-3202 | 954-970-3200 How much liability insurance do you have? ", Director of Maintenance: "If you have to ask, it requires engine tear-down and inspection.". Another thing to look for in the logs is a prolonged period of inactivity, such as years between annual inspections and oil changes. DeJoris explains, "Take for example the prop governor drive the rotating mass in the prop governor, mainly the flyweight assembly can really be problem if suddenly stopped. Steve Panagotacos of ProCraft Aviation, a major repair facility at Corona Municipal Airport, said to look for wrinkles in the firewall or Cherry Max rivets in the fuselage, two sure signs of an accident. 13132, because it would not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. What other services or inspections are being performed at the same time as the inspection? The alternator is turning 3000 rpm because of gearing. This is a minor or major prop repair issue, but not a potential engine tear down issue. To prevent crankshaft connecting rod journal fracture, which could result in total engine power loss, in-flight engine failure and possible forced landing, do the following: TCM supplies an instructional video in the tool kit for MSB 00-5C. These counterweights move on relatively soft bushings. We know of no ADs on TCM engines in this area to muddy the waters, so its the owners decision unless they are operating other than under Part 91, such as Part 135 where compliance with service directives is typically mandatory. documents in the last year, 946 The minor propeller repair must be accomplished in accordance with the propeller manufacturers published instructions (if it exists) for the minor damage preferentially over more general AC 43.13-1B with the exceptions we noted earlier). This condition, if not corrected, could result in crankshaft connecting rod journal fracture, which could result in total engine power loss, in-flight engine failure and possible forced landing. All crankshafts that are found to be unserviceable must be replaced with a serviceable crankshaft prior to further flight. There used to be, but it was kind of informal and there was a lot open to interpretation. The Lycoming information is more complicated and equivocating than the TCM directives in our opinion, as well explain. regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of During the subsequent takeoff, the airplane's right wing hit the mirror of a semitruck, which veered the airplane into a fire truck and eventually a ditch. Aircraft was involved in a prop strike. Think of it as the equivalent of a high-speed twist drill, with great resistance to bending-it tends to snap or develop cracks from damage and fails suddenly. Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to exist or develop on other engines of this same type design, this airworthiness directive (AD) requires removing a core sample of material from the propeller mounting flange and sending the core sample to TCM for evaluation. Without even trying, the FAA did what hasn't been done since 9/11: It cleared the airspace of commercial traffic. Jerry Robinette, Senior Engineer, Propulsion, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, One Crown Center, 1895 Phoenix Blvd., Suite 450, Atlanta, GA 30349; telephone: (770) 703-6096, fax: (770) 703-6097. On Lycoming engines, which are not nitrided, the flange can be bent. Kennedy Airport Jetliner Aborts Takeoff To Avoid Another Jet Crossing Runway, FAA Says; Agency Investigating, FAA Releases Audio From Deadly Wings Over Dallas Air Show Crash Between Air Boss, Pilots, Year-End Surge Boosts Boeing, but Airbus Still No. Document page views are updated periodically throughout the day and are cumulative counts for this document. TCM-powered aircraft operating under Part 135 of the FARs that have to comply with all manufacturers service bulletins would have to comply with Service Bulletin 96-11B, dealing with prop strikes, dated July 2008, requiring total disassembly and inspection after any incident that requires removal of the propeller for repairs or if the engine physically lost any rpms during the incident. On severe prop strikes, the mounts can be easily twisted and loaded in a way that it was not designed to withstand," he says. 2 Blade Continental O-200/Lycoming O-235 Ground Adjustable STOL Propeller $ 74CK $ 76AK-2 $ FIND A DEALER NEAR YOU. to a sudden stop. ", Airworthiness Directive 2004-10-14 is applicable to Lycoming engines that experienced a prop strike. Are there any hidden costs? A special note to experimental aircraft builders or someone looking for an engine upgrade: Beware of that great deal on an engine with a less than stellar or unknown history. The general consensus is that at least some degree of tear-down is the only safe option under their definition, and largely follows manufacturer data in the general damage/repair evaluation techniques. The defects were not revealed during manufacture because specification material evaluation techniques were inadequate to detect these anomalies. I bought the engine and started my quest to determine what I absolutely had to do to get the airplane airworthy. Following any propeller strike, complete disassembly and inspection of all rotating engine components is mandatory and must be accomplished prior to I've heard that a Continental doesn't require a tear down and inspection as a Lycoming does, but looking at Continental's Service Bulletin SB96-11B it looks Home. the most are "prop strike." Plus, unless you were watching the tach, how would you know? Lycoming's Service Bulletin 533 would also have to be complied with without question. Just a few short months ago, Textron Lycoming's Service Letter L-163C recommended taking the engine apart for inspection following any incident involving propeller blade damage. I alluded to the potential of buying an airplane that suffered a prop strike without the required inspections being completed. Or it was known to have been used on a plane that crashed or was somehow damaged or is missing a complete set of engine logs or some parts. However, they have the caveat that the inspecting mechanic may override that position and return the engine to service without disassembly and inspection if he or she feels that it is the prudent and responsible thing to do. Their decision would involve the specific engine involved, the severity of the prop damage, the cost, the time on the engine, whether the prop was stopped or appreciably slowed, who was flying at the time, what else is going on in the shop, and maybe the time of year and their mother's maiden name. documents in the last year, 973 For those engines that were overhauled in the field with factory new crankshafts, the crankshaft SN should be shown in work orders, log books or other maintenance records. The investigation revealed that the crankshafts failed due to subsurface defects in the number one crankshaft connecting rod journal. Bending loads alone are not the only destructive element, and nondestructive testing of the entire crank and associated structures is the only reasonable way to check it out. 's Service Bulletin 96-11, in a nutshell, says that if a propeller must be removed from the aircraft to be repaired following a propeller blade impact of any sort or if the engine physically lost rpms from the incident, then the engine has experienced a propeller strike and it should be removed from service and completely disassembled and thoroughly inspected for damage from the incident." Section 39.13 is amended by adding the following new airworthiness directive: 2000-23-21 Teledyne Continental Motors: Amendment 39-11994. Should he also have performed the obligatory engine inspections? (3) A sudden RPM drop while impacting water, tall grass, or similar yielding medium, where propeller damage is not normally incurred. Forums. (ii) You may use each rotobroach bit to obtain up to six core samples. These tools are designed to help you understand the official document A Textron Lycoming engine, that is being operated on a Part 91 aircraft, that had a sudden engine stoppage, not a propeller strike, must comply with AD 91-14-22 and Service Bulletin 475B at a minimum. The concern, of course, is the prospect of hidden damage, which can cause, and has caused, subsequent engine failures. On the record, owners said that if someone came into their shop and said he or she had an aircraft with a prop strike, they would follow the procedures outlined above to the letter. Moreover, the crank is not the only critical element in a prop-strike incident. documents in the last year, 41 Comments may also be sent via the Internet using the following address: 9-ane-adcomment@faa.gov. Comments sent via the Internet must contain the docket number in the subject line. The argument goes would you rather be paying for an in flight engine failure 100 hours from now. 49 U.S.C. For crankshafts identified in paragraph (a) of this AD, TCM has already determined which engines have a new suspect crankshaft installed and have identified those engines by engine SN. AC 43.13-1B has a great deal to say about what should be done in the manner of inspections and actions, and all the statements are preceded by the word must such as following the manufacturer directives as the priority action, with emphasis on the importance of a teardown when the event meets the criteria. AD/PROP/1 Amdt 2 (continued) Page 6 of 9 HOFFMAN (continued) Continental IO-346 engines 1000 All other Fixed Pitch Types 2000 Flottorp storage, overspeed, ground strike or aerobatic requirements refer mt-propeller Service Bulletin 1 Revision X. 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Prospect of hidden damage, which are not nitrided, the flange can be bent mandatory per AD.... Engine failures AD 91-14-22: Amendment 39-11994 argument goes would you know, and has caused, engine! Its also important to point out that this is not the only critical element in a incident!