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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Small aircraft suffers repeated cases of power loss or engine failures while cruising at high altitudes.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 236130 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199303 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gen |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : lsaz |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 236130 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
In sum: this small aircraft has a chronic engine problem. The engine loses power or fails completely while cruising at higher altitudes, up to FL240. We have received several similar reports from the same reporter. In this case, on a trip from switzerland to malta, the engine ran rough about 3 hours after takeoff and finally smoothed out after the engine was re-leaned. The following day, on the return trip, about 2 1/2 hours after takeoff at FL240, quit intermittently in 5 to 8 second cycles. Changing tanks seems to make it worse. Finally, when the mixture is placed in rich, the engine eventually becomes smoother. No common denominator noted in figures submitted in graphic attached.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA SUFFERS REPEATED CASES OF PWR LOSS OR ENG FAILURES WHILE CRUISING AT HIGH ALTITUDES.
Narrative: IN SUM: THIS SMA HAS A CHRONIC ENG PROB. THE ENG LOSES PWR OR FAILS COMPLETELY WHILE CRUISING AT HIGHER ALTS, UP TO FL240. WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL SIMILAR RPTS FROM THE SAME RPTR. IN THIS CASE, ON A TRIP FROM SWITZERLAND TO MALTA, THE ENG RAN ROUGH ABOUT 3 HRS AFTER TKOF AND FINALLY SMOOTHED OUT AFTER THE ENG WAS RE-LEANED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON THE RETURN TRIP, ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS AFTER TKOF AT FL240, QUIT INTERMITTENTLY IN 5 TO 8 SECOND CYCLES. CHANGING TANKS SEEMS TO MAKE IT WORSE. FINALLY, WHEN THE MIXTURE IS PLACED IN RICH, THE ENG EVENTUALLY BECOMES SMOOTHER. NO COMMON DENOMINATOR NOTED IN FIGURES SUBMITTED IN GRAPHIC ATTACHED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.