Narrative:

Aircraft engines were started in excess of manufacturer recommendation of 3000 cycles/starts. The first and second stage turbine wheels are tracked by hours and cycles and you are to change them at 3000 hours or 3000 cycles, whichever occurs first. These events are tracked on a biweekly status sheet sent out from the home office. We track the total starts every day in our logbook but we do not track the cycles in the logbook. Since we do not track them together and the starts are not in sync with the cycles it is not a perfect way to keep track of the cycles. Ie, engine #1 has 3641 starts and total cycles at that time were 3013, 13 over the manufacturer recommended limits. Engine #2 has 3070 starts and 3010 cycles, 10 over the manufacturer recommended limits. Typically, we increase our engine cycles by about 50 every 2 weeks, and our status sheet dated sep/wed/95 indicated that we had 127 and 140 starts remaining before cycling out on our #1 and #2 engines respectively. However, one thing I forgot to take into account was that we had done approximately 50 plus starts in about 3 days to troubleshoot an aircraft vibration and then when I received our new status report dated oct/xx/95 on oct/xy/95, a week later, I noticed that we only had 28 and 35 cycles remaining due until it reached 3000 cycles, however, I realized we had probably had more starts than that and when the aircraft returned from the flight that it was on, I did confirm that we had exceeded 3000 cycles. I think the best way to ensure that an incident such as this doesn't happen again is to track the cycles in our logbook in conjunction with our starts and to also make sure the information sent out from the home office is sent in a more timely fashion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED ACFT FLOWN PAST MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED START CYCLE DURING EMS OPS.

Narrative: ACFT ENGS WERE STARTED IN EXCESS OF MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATION OF 3000 CYCLES/STARTS. THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGE TURBINE WHEELS ARE TRACKED BY HRS AND CYCLES AND YOU ARE TO CHANGE THEM AT 3000 HRS OR 3000 CYCLES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. THESE EVENTS ARE TRACKED ON A BIWEEKLY STATUS SHEET SENT OUT FROM THE HOME OFFICE. WE TRACK THE TOTAL STARTS EVERY DAY IN OUR LOGBOOK BUT WE DO NOT TRACK THE CYCLES IN THE LOGBOOK. SINCE WE DO NOT TRACK THEM TOGETHER AND THE STARTS ARE NOT IN SYNC WITH THE CYCLES IT IS NOT A PERFECT WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE CYCLES. IE, ENG #1 HAS 3641 STARTS AND TOTAL CYCLES AT THAT TIME WERE 3013, 13 OVER THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED LIMITS. ENG #2 HAS 3070 STARTS AND 3010 CYCLES, 10 OVER THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED LIMITS. TYPICALLY, WE INCREASE OUR ENG CYCLES BY ABOUT 50 EVERY 2 WKS, AND OUR STATUS SHEET DATED SEP/WED/95 INDICATED THAT WE HAD 127 AND 140 STARTS REMAINING BEFORE CYCLING OUT ON OUR #1 AND #2 ENGS RESPECTIVELY. HOWEVER, ONE THING I FORGOT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WAS THAT WE HAD DONE APPROX 50 PLUS STARTS IN ABOUT 3 DAYS TO TROUBLESHOOT AN ACFT VIBRATION AND THEN WHEN I RECEIVED OUR NEW STATUS RPT DATED OCT/XX/95 ON OCT/XY/95, A WK LATER, I NOTICED THAT WE ONLY HAD 28 AND 35 CYCLES REMAINING DUE UNTIL IT REACHED 3000 CYCLES, HOWEVER, I REALIZED WE HAD PROBABLY HAD MORE STARTS THAN THAT AND WHEN THE ACFT RETURNED FROM THE FLT THAT IT WAS ON, I DID CONFIRM THAT WE HAD EXCEEDED 3000 CYCLES. I THINK THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT AN INCIDENT SUCH AS THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN IS TO TRACK THE CYCLES IN OUR LOGBOOK IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR STARTS AND TO ALSO MAKE SURE THE INFO SENT OUT FROM THE HOME OFFICE IS SENT IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION.

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.