A rockwell thrush loses engine power and barely makes it back to the field at dvo, ca.

Attributes
ACN	471589
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Rockwell, Aero Commander single-engine, undifferentiated
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 507 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	471589
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Everything normal on takeoff. As the aircraft flew through 300 ft, the manifold pressure dropped to 21 inches. Due to power loss, I leveled off at 400 ft and began to troubleshoot the problem, when I was advised by another pilot that heavy smoke was streaming from my airplane. The cockpit then filled with heavy smoke and the engine began to sputter, cut out and ran very rough. I made it back to gnoss field, steadily losing altitude. Due to buildings, I could not turn to the runway heading until over the runway. On the turn, the right wingtip sustained minor damage when it contacted the ground. No other damage was sustained. Upon inspection, the field mechanic discovered that the alternate air rod end bolt came off and was ingested into the turbocharger, causing the fins to disintegrate, travel down through the intercooler and into the engine. A 7/8

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A ROCKWELL THRUSH LOSES ENG PWR AND BARELY MAKES IT BACK TO THE FIELD AT DVO, CA.

Narrative: EVERYTHING NORMAL ON TKOF. AS THE ACFT FLEW THROUGH 300 FT, THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPPED TO 21 INCHES. DUE TO PWR LOSS, I LEVELED OFF AT 400 FT AND BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB, WHEN I WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER PLT THAT HVY SMOKE WAS STREAMING FROM MY AIRPLANE. THE COCKPIT THEN FILLED WITH HVY SMOKE AND THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER, CUT OUT AND RAN VERY ROUGH. I MADE IT BACK TO GNOSS FIELD, STEADILY LOSING ALT. DUE TO BUILDINGS, I COULD NOT TURN TO THE RWY HEADING UNTIL OVER THE RWY. ON THE TURN, THE R WINGTIP SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT CONTACTED THE GND. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED. UPON INSPECTION, THE FIELD MECH DISCOVERED THAT THE ALTERNATE AIR ROD END BOLT CAME OFF AND WAS INGESTED INTO THE TURBOCHARGER, CAUSING THE FINS TO DISINTEGRATE, TRAVEL DOWN THROUGH THE INTERCOOLER AND INTO THE ENG. A 7/8

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.