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A C150 pwred with an O200A engine experienced a complete engine failure caused by a shop towel inadvertently left in the engine assembly case.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 409957 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199807 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : osh |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 409957 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During installation of new style of starter, a shop towel was used to keep bearings from old starter support from falling into starter gears and assembly case during removal of bearing and clean up of gasket surface. During that time there were many phone calls and other distrs from customers and other people. During that time frame the towel was either missed and not removed or put back in by somebody helping to cover things. When the housing was open and I was away, either way, the starter was reinstalled, connected and the engine was ground started and checked for operation and no problems noted at that time, paper work completed. The aircraft was returned to service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the shop towel caused the engine to fail in-flight and the FAA has made contact. The reporter said the aircraft sat for a week with the engine opened up and cannot explain how the towel got into the engine assembly case.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C150 PWRED WITH AN O200A ENG EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ENG FAILURE CAUSED BY A SHOP TOWEL INADVERTENTLY LEFT IN THE ENG ASSEMBLY CASE.
Narrative: DURING INSTALLATION OF NEW STYLE OF STARTER, A SHOP TOWEL WAS USED TO KEEP BEARINGS FROM OLD STARTER SUPPORT FROM FALLING INTO STARTER GEARS AND ASSEMBLY CASE DURING REMOVAL OF BEARING AND CLEAN UP OF GASKET SURFACE. DURING THAT TIME THERE WERE MANY PHONE CALLS AND OTHER DISTRS FROM CUSTOMERS AND OTHER PEOPLE. DURING THAT TIME FRAME THE TOWEL WAS EITHER MISSED AND NOT REMOVED OR PUT BACK IN BY SOMEBODY HELPING TO COVER THINGS. WHEN THE HOUSING WAS OPEN AND I WAS AWAY, EITHER WAY, THE STARTER WAS REINSTALLED, CONNECTED AND THE ENG WAS GND STARTED AND CHKED FOR OP AND NO PROBS NOTED AT THAT TIME, PAPER WORK COMPLETED. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SHOP TOWEL CAUSED THE ENG TO FAIL INFLT AND THE FAA HAS MADE CONTACT. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT SAT FOR A WK WITH THE ENG OPENED UP AND CANNOT EXPLAIN HOW THE TOWEL GOT INTO THE ENG ASSEMBLY CASE.
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.