Narrative:

Incident occurred in a multi-engine aircraft that was new on our flight line. My flight time in this aircraft was 6.7 hours. Aircraft had a 1 week old annual inspection. This included some major work on both engines, including 2 new front cylinders on the right (failed) engine. During the preflight the student/operator found an oil leak. After investigation we decided that it was a small leak around either a push rod seal or the cylinder (both on right side of engine). Note: operator/student has extensive automotive engine experience and we decided the aircraft was safe for flight. We added the oil up to 11 quarts (min 8 quarts, maximum 12 quarts). Takeoff and climb and cruise were performed according to normal procedures. Noted was that by leaning with egt the right engine suddenly lost power. On the takeoff a right yaw was noted, but since all engine instruments were in the green the yaw was blamed on a strong right crosswind. On the first landing attempt most effort was put in keeping the aircraft aligned on final (wind 010/20 G 25, light turbulence, night). At 800 ft AGL we heard 2 bangs which we thought came from the retractable step, that was bouncing in turbulence. After I noted that the right manifold pressure was 28 inches hg constant (no reduction was possible, RPM was normal), we made a go around and after a brief in-flight investigation we believed it to be an instrument line leak. Engine appeared to develop normal power. A second approach was made. On short final most of the power on the right engine was lost and some sparks were seen coming out of the exhaust. A successful landing was made and after clearing the runway the engine appeared to be smoking so the aircraft engines were shut down and a fire truck called. I discharged my pocket fire extinguisher on a small oil fire (oil burning on exhaust). Fire truck assistance was not necessary. Aircraft was towed to parking. The NTSB was immediately notified but no written report is necessary (incident). After a brief investigation we concluded that the engine failure and subsequent 'fire' were caused by the right rear cylinder that broke off its base and moved above 1 inch from its original position. This was the same cylinder that had the oil leak. In the 6.7 hours we flew the airplane we noted several minor discrepancies. At their occurrence they did not seem to have any significance, but after the incident they seem to have a strong relation to the engine failure. At low RPM, right throttle lever had to be set 1 inch lower than the left lever. Right oil pressure was always in lower part of green arc and came up slower on last engine start. On takeoff power settings the right engine fuel flow was 3 gph higher (right 23 gph, left 20 gph). Higher oil use on right engine. A 'strange' crosswind correction during taxi maneuvers (with differential power to keep airplane straight, on wrong side). Formerly mentioned egt leaning problem. We hope to learn more of this incident after disassembly of the engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TWIN EXPERIENCED PROGRESSIVE ENG FAILURE DURING NIGHT TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A MULTI-ENG ACFT THAT WAS NEW ON OUR FLT LINE. MY FLT TIME IN THIS ACFT WAS 6.7 HRS. ACFT HAD A 1 WK OLD ANNUAL INSPECTION. THIS INCLUDED SOME MAJOR WORK ON BOTH ENGS, INCLUDING 2 NEW FRONT CYLINDERS ON THE R (FAILED) ENG. DURING THE PREFLT THE STUDENT/OPERATOR FOUND AN OIL LEAK. AFTER INVESTIGATION WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS A SMALL LEAK AROUND EITHER A PUSH ROD SEAL OR THE CYLINDER (BOTH ON R SIDE OF ENG). NOTE: OPERATOR/STUDENT HAS EXTENSIVE AUTOMOTIVE ENG EXPERIENCE AND WE DECIDED THE ACFT WAS SAFE FOR FLT. WE ADDED THE OIL UP TO 11 QUARTS (MIN 8 QUARTS, MAX 12 QUARTS). TKOF AND CLB AND CRUISE WERE PERFORMED ACCORDING TO NORMAL PROCS. NOTED WAS THAT BY LEANING WITH EGT THE R ENG SUDDENLY LOST PWR. ON THE TKOF A R YAW WAS NOTED, BUT SINCE ALL ENG INSTS WERE IN THE GREEN THE YAW WAS BLAMED ON A STRONG R XWIND. ON THE FIRST LNDG ATTEMPT MOST EFFORT WAS PUT IN KEEPING THE ACFT ALIGNED ON FINAL (WIND 010/20 G 25, LIGHT TURB, NIGHT). AT 800 FT AGL WE HEARD 2 BANGS WHICH WE THOUGHT CAME FROM THE RETRACTABLE STEP, THAT WAS BOUNCING IN TURB. AFTER I NOTED THAT THE R MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS 28 INCHES HG CONSTANT (NO REDUCTION WAS POSSIBLE, RPM WAS NORMAL), WE MADE A GAR AND AFTER A BRIEF INFLT INVESTIGATION WE BELIEVED IT TO BE AN INST LINE LEAK. ENG APPEARED TO DEVELOP NORMAL PWR. A SECOND APCH WAS MADE. ON SHORT FINAL MOST OF THE PWR ON THE R ENG WAS LOST AND SOME SPARKS WERE SEEN COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS MADE AND AFTER CLRING THE RWY THE ENG APPEARED TO BE SMOKING SO THE ACFT ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND A FIRE TRUCK CALLED. I DISCHARGED MY POCKET FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON A SMALL OIL FIRE (OIL BURNING ON EXHAUST). FIRE TRUCK ASSISTANCE WAS NOT NECESSARY. ACFT WAS TOWED TO PARKING. THE NTSB WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED BUT NO WRITTEN RPT IS NECESSARY (INCIDENT). AFTER A BRIEF INVESTIGATION WE CONCLUDED THAT THE ENG FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT 'FIRE' WERE CAUSED BY THE R REAR CYLINDER THAT BROKE OFF ITS BASE AND MOVED ABOVE 1 INCH FROM ITS ORIGINAL POS. THIS WAS THE SAME CYLINDER THAT HAD THE OIL LEAK. IN THE 6.7 HRS WE FLEW THE AIRPLANE WE NOTED SEVERAL MINOR DISCREPANCIES. AT THEIR OCCURRENCE THEY DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE, BUT AFTER THE INCIDENT THEY SEEM TO HAVE A STRONG RELATION TO THE ENG FAILURE. AT LOW RPM, R THROTTLE LEVER HAD TO BE SET 1 INCH LOWER THAN THE L LEVER. R OIL PRESSURE WAS ALWAYS IN LOWER PART OF GREEN ARC AND CAME UP SLOWER ON LAST ENG START. ON TKOF PWR SETTINGS THE R ENG FUEL FLOW WAS 3 GPH HIGHER (R 23 GPH, L 20 GPH). HIGHER OIL USE ON R ENG. A 'STRANGE' XWIND CORRECTION DURING TAXI MANEUVERS (WITH DIFFERENTIAL PWR TO KEEP AIRPLANE STRAIGHT, ON WRONG SIDE). FORMERLY MENTIONED EGT LEANING PROBLEM. WE HOPE TO LEARN MORE OF THIS INCIDENT AFTER DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENG.

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.