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RV-10 AOG TBC (Tuba City AZ)

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woxofswa

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Had an inflight failure of RV10 MT prop governor while enroute from SLC to Mesa AZ. Case breach of governor resulting in oil loss and prop driving to coarse pitch.

Good news TBC was available for quick divert. Bad news TBC is TBC and there is nothing here but a runway.

Throwing this out that perhaps someone has an MT P680-3 sitting on a shelf in UT or AZ that we can acquire faster than we will be able to get one shipped as luck would have it our first day AOG is a Sunday.

Thanks for reading. Stuff happens

602 421-2868
 
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Hmmm, this sounds similar to what Todd Stovall experienced. I hope this isn't a start of a trend.
 
Can't help with the repair or anything, but if we can help with transportation or anything, Tuba is not that far from Flagstaff.
 
No, sorry, I meant coarse pitch. (Stupid spell checker). In flight all
I knew was sudden significant loss of thrust (over eastern corridor of Grand Canyon) and RPM was about 500 below normal for throttle setting, and moving prop control did nothing. Very glad I didn't continue, (FLG) because when I landed, oil was dripping out of cowl outlet. I had lost about 1-1.5 quarts over a ten minute or so period. Engine oil pressure never got low nor did temp get high, but certainly would have if I had continued. On landing inspection a tiny flap of case material (Still attached) had opened up on PG case side.
 
If tools, logistics... etc. rear their ugly head... I can fly there today from Prescott. Have tools, oil etc. cell: 928 273 nine three three one. Nick
 
Home now thanks to the efforts of a couple of the brotherhoods finest who flew me up a new Lyc PG donated by a Bearhawk project.

The failure turned out to be an uncontained internal failure that punched a part (gear tooth?) through the PG sidewall spewing oil out of the case and losing pressure on the side that causes the pitch to go coarse.

Many phone calls tomorrow.

If your PG starts acting goofy assume you are losing oil. As bad as Tuba City turned out to be, continuing on would have meant highway, brush, or forest.

Thanks to the many offers of help and support. It is an awful
Feeling to be stuck. This avocation is not about airplanes as much as it is about people and friends.

 
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rleffler said:
Hmmm, this sounds similar to what Todd Stovall experienced. I hope this isn't a start of a trend.
Click to expand...

While I don't have a dog in this hunt, I would say that two virtually identical failures of the exact same part on similar airframes within days of each other is sufficient to identify a trend and raise alarms. Hopefully the manufacturer will step up - this is AD/SB territory to me. Thankfully both pilots in these instances were able to land safely at airports. The next failure may not leave the pilot and passengers so fortunate.

What is the process to notify the manufacturer/FAA (and owners of this part)? This is a real safety of flight issue.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=140638
 
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Tuba City

A word of caution about the reservation airstrips: Kayenta(0V7), Chinle(E91) and Window Rock(RQE) are all relatively safe places to leave an aircraft unattended. The others are not safe, especially overnight.
 
So, this makes me think about having my MT 630-4 inspected while I'm down for a few months re-doing the panel. I hate to just spend money for the sake of spending but this is the 3rd instance I've heard of an MT governor failing. Thankfully, each of the cases had good pilots with clear thinking at the controls and no one was hurt. What are some opinions about taking it off and sending it out for inspection when it seems to be running fine? Seems like they all run fine until they don't.
 
Due to myriad inquiries.

At time of failure

Hobbs 288

Tach. 251

Air. 233

Van's sourced MT P860-3 Govenor. Standard Van's offered Hartzel two blade blended airfoil prop. BPE IO-540X running X/C 20/50
 
Manufactured 9-11 (I have to admit that made me snicker)

Note to mods. I am going to start a new thread on the MT Govs as I have a feeling there will be much discussion and questions going forward. Is there a way to link one thread to the other?
 
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