- Joined
- Oct 14, 2017
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This is another example of why in spite of being one I'm critical of a lot of mechanics. There simply is no excuse for this level of stupidity. I bet if you asked the person that did this they would rate themselves as above average.
I wish this level of mechanical malfeasances was rare, but it's not. It hits especially close to home for me because I came close to suffering the same fate...twice!
The first time was as a kid in my brother's Cub I had picked up in Fairbanks and flown to the North Coast of Alaska, about a 500 mi trip. I still remember the trip, lots of forest fires and smoke to work my way around. Upon arriving my bro took the plane up to test out his new engine and the very gasket omitted that killed the two folks in the Arrow blew out dumping out all the oil. He made to the runway but the engine was trashed. The installing mechanic had used the old gasket when he installed the block off cover off the old engine to the new.
The second time was fortunately in a twin. After a governor change I was blissfully cruising alone when all of a sudden I noticed smoke pouring out behind the left engine. It looked like the stuff you see at airshows, a thick trail of white/gray smoke. I caged the engine and beat it back for home. The problem? The illustrious A&P/IA that had swapped the governor used a block off cover gasket rather than the reinforced governor gasket and a chunk of it had blown out. Due to the location of the rear mounted governor on these engines it was spraying oil right on the turbo and exhaust pipe!
Yes, one of the reasons I decided to become an A&P/IA is so these clowns who think they know what they are doing wouldn't eventually kill me! I feel for folks that have no choice but trust their skin to maintenance providers that all too often are unworthy of that trust.
Jeff
I wish this level of mechanical malfeasances was rare, but it's not. It hits especially close to home for me because I came close to suffering the same fate...twice!
The first time was as a kid in my brother's Cub I had picked up in Fairbanks and flown to the North Coast of Alaska, about a 500 mi trip. I still remember the trip, lots of forest fires and smoke to work my way around. Upon arriving my bro took the plane up to test out his new engine and the very gasket omitted that killed the two folks in the Arrow blew out dumping out all the oil. He made to the runway but the engine was trashed. The installing mechanic had used the old gasket when he installed the block off cover off the old engine to the new.
The second time was fortunately in a twin. After a governor change I was blissfully cruising alone when all of a sudden I noticed smoke pouring out behind the left engine. It looked like the stuff you see at airshows, a thick trail of white/gray smoke. I caged the engine and beat it back for home. The problem? The illustrious A&P/IA that had swapped the governor used a block off cover gasket rather than the reinforced governor gasket and a chunk of it had blown out. Due to the location of the rear mounted governor on these engines it was spraying oil right on the turbo and exhaust pipe!
Yes, one of the reasons I decided to become an A&P/IA is so these clowns who think they know what they are doing wouldn't eventually kill me! I feel for folks that have no choice but trust their skin to maintenance providers that all too often are unworthy of that trust.
Jeff
