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A PA31 atx pilot is mandated to return land when his engines start to indicate a rising cylinder head temperature on climb out from dfw, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 526909 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200109 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 130 |
| ASRS Report | 526909 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cylinder head temp gauge other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport other |
| Consequence | other other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Upon successful rotation of the PA31 aircraft, I checked the engine instruments and noticed a rapidly rising cylinder head temperature on the left engine and a cylinder head temperature rising faster than normal on the right engine. I crosschecked the other engine gauges and found nothing abnormal. The cylinder head temperatures continued to rise and so I requested an immediate return. I brought the power back, leveled off the airplane and entered the traffic pattern for runway 18R. I opened the cowl flaps. The cylinder head temperatures began to cool off. I began to wonder what might be going on and then I realized I had not sumped the fuel tanks and a recent review of the manual led me to suspect fuel contamination. I landed the airplane without incident and then taxied off the runway and shut down. I verified fuel contamination and then informed the controller that I would not be able to restart and would need to be towed to the ramp.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA31 ATX PLT IS MANDATED TO RETURN LAND WHEN HIS ENGS START TO INDICATE A RISING CYLINDER HEAD TEMP ON CLBOUT FROM DFW, TX.
Narrative: UPON SUCCESSFUL ROTATION OF THE PA31 ACFT, I CHKED THE ENG INSTS AND NOTICED A RAPIDLY RISING CYLINDER HEAD TEMP ON THE L ENG AND A CYLINDER HEAD TEMP RISING FASTER THAN NORMAL ON THE R ENG. I XCHKED THE OTHER ENG GAUGES AND FOUND NOTHING ABNORMAL. THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS CONTINUED TO RISE AND SO I REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN. I BROUGHT THE PWR BACK, LEVELED OFF THE AIRPLANE AND ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 18R. I OPENED THE COWL FLAPS. THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS BEGAN TO COOL OFF. I BEGAN TO WONDER WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON AND THEN I REALIZED I HAD NOT SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS AND A RECENT REVIEW OF THE MANUAL LED ME TO SUSPECT FUEL CONTAMINATION. I LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THEN TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND SHUT DOWN. I VERIFIED FUEL CONTAMINATION AND THEN INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART AND WOULD NEED TO BE TOWED TO THE RAMP.
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.