Narrative:

I was advised by our maintenance department that on my flight from ord- mli that 11 over-torques were registered by the aircraft, all to at least 150 percent torque. The aircraft was an mdt with automatic monitoring of engine parameters. I am positive that this did not occur as it would have been very noticeable to the flight crew. Obviously there is some defect in the system that records these engine parameters. Since a good portion of our maintenance is predicated on this recorded information, this sort of defect needs to be corrected. I was told by our manager of flight standards that we have been getting other apparently bogus reports of engines exceeding normal performance parameters. If this is a problem inherent to the mdt aircraft it should be looked into. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that a recording device similar to a fdr records engine parameters. In this case, the spikes in engine torque were not accompanied by spikes in egt as would be expected. This leads one to suspect the torque spikes were false. His concern is: if false over-torque readings could lead to premature maintenance action, would it be possible for real over-torques that do not show on the recorder to cause necessary maintenance to be overlooked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RECORDED ENG PERFORMANCE DATA INDICATES THAT THERE WERE 11 ENG OVER-TORQUES ON A SHORT LEG FROM ORD TO MLI.

Narrative: I WAS ADVISED BY OUR MAINT DEPT THAT ON MY FLT FROM ORD- MLI THAT 11 OVER-TORQUES WERE REGISTERED BY THE ACFT, ALL TO AT LEAST 150 PERCENT TORQUE. THE ACFT WAS AN MDT WITH AUTOMATIC MONITORING OF ENG PARAMETERS. I AM POSITIVE THAT THIS DID NOT OCCUR AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY NOTICEABLE TO THE FLC. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOME DEFECT IN THE SYS THAT RECORDS THESE ENG PARAMETERS. SINCE A GOOD PORTION OF OUR MAINT IS PREDICATED ON THIS RECORDED INFO, THIS SORT OF DEFECT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. I WAS TOLD BY OUR MGR OF FLT STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GETTING OTHER APPARENTLY BOGUS RPTS OF ENGS EXCEEDING NORMAL PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS. IF THIS IS A PROB INHERENT TO THE MDT ACFT IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT A RECORDING DEVICE SIMILAR TO A FDR RECORDS ENG PARAMETERS. IN THIS CASE, THE SPIKES IN ENG TORQUE WERE NOT ACCOMPANIED BY SPIKES IN EGT AS WOULD BE EXPECTED. THIS LEADS ONE TO SUSPECT THE TORQUE SPIKES WERE FALSE. HIS CONCERN IS: IF FALSE OVER-TORQUE READINGS COULD LEAD TO PREMATURE MAINT ACTION, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR REAL OVER-TORQUES THAT DO NOT SHOW ON THE RECORDER TO CAUSE NECESSARY MAINT TO BE OVERLOOKED.

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.