J U.S.Department ot Transportation FodomlAvianon Circular Subject: RECIPROCATING ENGINE POWER- Date: 6/15/98 AC No: 20-105B LOSS ACCIDENT PREVENTION Initiated by: AFS-340 Change: AND TREND MONITORING 1. PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) updates statistical information and brings to the attention of aircraft owners, operators, manufacturers, and maintenance personnel the circumstancessurrounding engine power-loss accidents with recommendations on how, through individual effort and consideration, those accidents can be prevented. This AC will also offer procedureson how to set up a reciprocating engine trend monitoring program to improve both engine and related system reliability over the recommended operating life of the engine. 2. CANCELLATION. AC 20-105A, Engine Power-Loss Accident Prevention, dated November 20, 1980, is canceled. 3. BACKGROUND. Four and six cylinder reciprocating engines presently installed in Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 3 and Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 23 ’ type-certificated aircraft are the engine of choice for small single engine and multi-engine aircraft becauseof their reliability. The recommended time between overhaul (TBO) for reciprocating engines range between 1500/l 800 hours for high performance six cylinder engines to 2000 hours for low compression 4 cylinder engines. Despite improvements over the years, in engine design and performance, a review of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reciprocating engine failure accident records covering a three year period from 1994 through 1996, revealed that the overall causesof reciprocating engine failures remain the same as the early 1960’s. a. Of the 1,007 accidents analyzed, 5 18 or 5 1% of the accidents were attributed to pilot error, such as poor preflight planning, inspection, or improper use of engine controls. Three hundred and two accidents or 30% were attributed to mechanical failure such as valve or cylinder failure, and the remaining 187 accidents or 19% were attributed to improper maintenance and/or inspection of the aircraft. It is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) belief that approximately 70% of these engine power loss accidents could have been avoided if the owner/operator instituted an aggressivetraining program for pilots and mechanics and incorporated a trend monitoring program. b. This AC is divided into two major sections. The first section will review operational causesand recommend corrective actions to be taken to prevent or reduce the chancesfor an engine failure. The second section presents and explains a sample program for engine trend monitoring system. A AC 20-105B 6/l 5198 4. DISCUSSION OF OPERATIONAL ENGINE FAILURES. a. Lack Of Pilot Training. Mismanagementof enginecontrol system(s)by the pilot continuesto be the leadingcause of enginefailure. Most of thesetypes of failures result from improper preflight planningor improperfuel managementprocedures. Fuel starvation(fuel on board the aircraft but not suppliedto the engine(s),and fuel exhaustion(no fuel on boardthe . aircraft) accountfor over 5 1% of all enginepower-loss accidents. Pilots and operatorsshould review their aircraft’s fuel and enginesystem operating requirements to ensurethat: (1) The pilot is completelyfamiliar with both the airframe and engineoperating manuals, especiallythe chaptersconcerning fuel management,engine power settings,use of carburetor heat and eachof the aircraft’s systemsdesign, locations, and controls. (2) The pilot adheresto all manufacturer’soperating instructions, placards, and other limitations and avoidsovertemp, overheat,overboost, and overspeedoperations. (3) The use of the aircraft’s checklistduring normal and emergencyoperations is stressed. (4) Recurrenttraining is a continuingprocess. Both pilots and mechanicsshould keep abreastof technicalinformation relatedto the aircraft’s fuel, oil, replacementparts, airworthiness directives,and manufacturer’stechnical publications. b. Inadequate Preflight Inspection. A large number of enginepower loss accidentscould havebeen avoided if the pilot took the time to plan the flight and performed a good preflight. Eachyear the accidentrecords show a high number of accidentsthat were causedby pilots running out of fuel. For good flight planningthe pilot shouldinclude at least the following information in his or her pre-flight check list. (1) Pilots shouldknow the total USABLE fuel on board the aircraft before eachflight. The UNUSABLE fuel (fuel in the tanks but due to design of the tank, cannot be usedby the engine(s))should not be consideredas usablefuel when planninga flight. (2) Check eachfuel tank drain for operation.Check for water or debris in the fuel. Also check the color of the fuel to ensurethat Jet A has not beenmixed with Aviation gasoline(Av- kw). (3) Check the under wing fuel tank vents to ensurethat they are open. In the early spring and summermonths you might want to usea pipe cleaneras a probe to ensurethat insectshave not built a nest in the vent line. Also on unpressuredtanks, the fuel cap has a small vent built into it, Ensurethat this vent is not coveredover with dirt, wax, or polish. (4) Ensurethat the fuel selectorworks as advertised. A number of enginepower loss accidentswere causedby the pilot who was unableto move the seizedfuel tank selectorhandle from the empty tank to the full one, or failed to lock the fuel tank selectorinto the proper detent. Thesemechanical problems are usually causedby a worn or galledfuel selectorvalve. Page2 Par4 6/l S/98 AC 20-105B To prevent fuel selectorfailure prior to taxi, exercisethe selectorvalve by switching tanks and ensuringthat there is fuel flow from eachselected tank to the engine(s). Rememberto allow sufficient time (3 to 4 minutes) for eachcheck as the carburetor/fuelinjector lines hold fuel from the previousselected tank. Do not forget to monitor the fuel pump pressure. At least oncea month, check thatme fuel selector’sfuel shut off position to ensureit will stop the fuel flow to the engine. Rememberit will take a few minutesat low RPM setting for the engineto drain the fuel from the fuel lines/carburetor/fuelinjector and causethe engineto quit. This check is very important becausein caseof an enginefire, the fuel shut off valve will stop fuel flow on the cabinside of the fire wall, effectively preventingan enginefire from being fed from the aircraft fuel tanks. If a worn or galled fuel selectoris suspected,have a mechaniclubricate or replacethe valve, as needed. c. Fuel Contamination. There are two basickinds of fuel contamination,solid and water. Solid contaminates,such as sand,rust, and other debriscan be found by inspectingthe low areas/sumpsof each(empty andproperly purged) fuel tank with an explosionproof flashlight, and by inspectingthe fuel system fillers and carburetor/injectorin-line filter screenfor solid particulatecontamination. If solid particle contaminationcontinues to occur on a frequent basics,the primary fuel suppliermay be the sourceof the problem. (1) Water contaminationcontinues to be a major causeof fuel related accidents. There are three ways water can enter a fuel system. The first is condensation,or the reductionprocess in which the moisture in warm air is reducedinto liquid water. This phenomenonis exactly what causeswindows in a warm houseto “sweat” during the winter months. In an aircraft, condensationcan happeninside a lessthan full fuel tank. When a temperaturedifference occurs betweenthe walls of the fuel tank and the air in the tank, water droplets will form on the inside top part of the fuel tank walls and drain down into the fuel. The effects of condensationcan be reducedby keepingthe fuel tanks full while the aircraft is parked. (2) The secondway water gainsaccess to the fuel systemis through the fuel filler caps. Rain water or snow runoff entry into the fuel systemis madeeasier if the fuel filler capshave crackedor nicked “0” rings, scored,or deformedfiller necks. Many high performancegeneral aviation aircraft have flush mountedfuel capsthat have at leasttwo “0” rings. The most visible “0” ring is the one on the circumferenceof the fuel cap that provides the sealbetween the cap andthe filler neck wall. The second“0” ring is frequently overlookedby both mechanicsand pilots and is locatedin the centerof the cap and sealsthe fuel cap lock assembly. Becauseof the design,the fuel cap lock sits in a well in the centerof the fuel cap. The well providesa catch basinfor water runoff. If the smaller “0” ring is defective,water will find a way into the tank. This potential hazardcan be avoidedby an aggressivefiller neck/capinspection and “0” ring replacementschedule. (3) The third way water can enter a fuel system is when it is refueled. Carelessfuel dispensingpractices such as refueling when it is raining, or poor maintenanceof the fuel truck/fuel farm, filters, water separators,or lack of adequateinspections or dispensingprocedures are generallythe causalfactors. To prevent dispensingcontaminated fuel, fixed baseoperators , (FBO) shouldensure that their fuel handlingpersonnel are adequatelytrained, the fuel dispensing equipmentis functional and clean,the fuel, both in the storagetanks and trucks are checkedat Par4 Page3 AC 20-105B 6/l S/98 least once a day for overall quality and indicationsof water or other contaminates.Each inspectionshould be documented. (SeeAC 20-125, Water in Aviation Fuels,for additional information.) d. Misfueling Accidents. This occurswhen Jet A, a turbine enginefuel is substitutedfor aviation gasoline. When Jet A contaminatesa