Narrative:

On the morning of may/thu/98, I departed fairbanks international on a VFR flight plan en route to fort yukon. The aircraft flown was a piper navajo PA31-350. Prior to departure, an engine run-up was performed. No abnormal engine indications were noted. After departure while climbing through approximately 4000 ft the right engine sputtered just for a moment. About 3 or 4 seconds later there was a muffled pop and immediate loss of power on the right engine. I immediately performed the emergency procedures for an engine failure and started a turn back to the airport. While in the turn I noted the engine oil filler cover on the cowling had been blown open and that a profuse amount of oil was streaming out over the whole cowling. Through the louvers on the cowling, I could also see a fire in the area of the turbocharger. This incident occurred approximately 15 mi north of fairbanks where I informed ground control of my situation, that I was declaring an emergency and requesting fire crews to be waiting. About 30-45 seconds after noting the fire it appeared to have extinguished itself. A normal landing without incident was performed on runway 19R. Upon exiting the runway I elected to taxi the aircraft on 1 engine to my company's ramp area. The fire crews were following closely behind escorting me all the way to my company. Upon investigation of the engine, it was found that the #5 cylinder had separated itself from the engine case. In addition, a large area of the engine case itself (approximately 8- 10 inch diameter) separated from the engine. It was discovered that the cylinder which separated from the engine was an original cylinder. The engine had approximately 60-70 hours to go before time between overhauls. The only thing I would have done differently in this event would have been to shut the aircraft down immediately upon exiting the runway instead of taxiing to my company for fear of a secondary fire, irregardless of fire crews being readily available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA31-350, DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND DURING CLBOUT DUE TO CATASTROPHIC R ENG FAILURE WITH ACCOMPANYING ENG FIRE.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF MAY/THU/98, I DEPARTED FAIRBANKS INTL ON A VFR FLT PLAN ENRTE TO FORT YUKON. THE ACFT FLOWN WAS A PIPER NAVAJO PA31-350. PRIOR TO DEP, AN ENG RUN-UP WAS PERFORMED. NO ABNORMAL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NOTED. AFTER DEP WHILE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 4000 FT THE R ENG SPUTTERED JUST FOR A MOMENT. ABOUT 3 OR 4 SECONDS LATER THERE WAS A MUFFLED POP AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF PWR ON THE R ENG. I IMMEDIATELY PERFORMED THE EMER PROCS FOR AN ENG FAILURE AND STARTED A TURN BACK TO THE ARPT. WHILE IN THE TURN I NOTED THE ENG OIL FILLER COVER ON THE COWLING HAD BEEN BLOWN OPEN AND THAT A PROFUSE AMOUNT OF OIL WAS STREAMING OUT OVER THE WHOLE COWLING. THROUGH THE LOUVERS ON THE COWLING, I COULD ALSO SEE A FIRE IN THE AREA OF THE TURBOCHARGER. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED APPROX 15 MI N OF FAIRBANKS WHERE I INFORMED GND CTL OF MY SIT, THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND REQUESTING FIRE CREWS TO BE WAITING. ABOUT 30-45 SECONDS AFTER NOTING THE FIRE IT APPEARED TO HAVE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF. A NORMAL LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT WAS PERFORMED ON RWY 19R. UPON EXITING THE RWY I ELECTED TO TAXI THE ACFT ON 1 ENG TO MY COMPANY'S RAMP AREA. THE FIRE CREWS WERE FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND ESCORTING ME ALL THE WAY TO MY COMPANY. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE ENG, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE #5 CYLINDER HAD SEPARATED ITSELF FROM THE ENG CASE. IN ADDITION, A LARGE AREA OF THE ENG CASE ITSELF (APPROX 8- 10 INCH DIAMETER) SEPARATED FROM THE ENG. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CYLINDER WHICH SEPARATED FROM THE ENG WAS AN ORIGINAL CYLINDER. THE ENG HAD APPROX 60-70 HRS TO GO BEFORE TIME BTWN OVERHAULS. THE ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IN THIS EVENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO SHUT THE ACFT DOWN IMMEDIATELY UPON EXITING THE RWY INSTEAD OF TAXIING TO MY COMPANY FOR FEAR OF A SECONDARY FIRE, IRREGARDLESS OF FIRE CREWS BEING READILY AVAILABLE.

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.