News
Last month was eventful, and sadly not in a good way.
We are running oil analysis on every oil change and noticed a specific wear metal trending up over the last samples. Paired with some unusual temperature patterns of one cylinder, a bore scope inspection was ordered and revealed a cracked exhaust valve and excessive heat damage to one cylinder. That cylinder had been operated significantly outside the normal range during a flight earlier in 2021 for a period of time that was apparently long enough to take hundreds of hours of useful life out of the cylinder in a matter of minutes. The only positive about this story is that we were able to diagnose and mitigate the issue before it developed into potentially catastrophic inflight engine failure.
The cylinder needed to be replaced at 700SNEW – at roughly one third of the TBO of this engine. I can’t stress enough that the hourly rate of $235.00 is not provisioned to support extra overhauls or repairs that are outside of normal wear and tear. I have submitted the repair cost to the PlusOne IDP program and currently wait for approval or a status update.
Engine management (temperatures, leaning procures, etc.) are crucial and need to be followed exactly as prescribed by the POH in every phase of flight.
The trend of non-routine maintenance expenses over the last two quarters is concerning. I hope we can break the trend and avoid rental rate adjustments or changes to the discount offer.
Checkout procedure / Quiz
In light of the recent IDP claims for all PlusOne Cirrus aircraft, the club has mandated a change to the checkout procedure that will also affect the checkout for 3CD.
Any new pilot seeking a checkout in 3CD will now have to complete a transition course following the VFR/IFR syllabus from the Cirrus FOM. This includes a minimum of hours and landings as well as a final evaluation flight that can only be done a limited number of PlusOne CFIs. Pilots that have completed a Cirrus transition before or have hours in make/model can get credits, but still have to pass the final evaluation flight. Existing checkouts remain valid.
While not part of the club mandate, I have created a quiz that tries to emphasize special areas of concern and highlights frequent mistakes. I would ask that all pilots flying 3CD complete this quiz before getting checked out and every pilot on an annual basis as a refresher.
I appreciate and support the checkout policy change, because it will lead to more proficiency and (hopefully) less damage to the club fleet. I have encouraged PlusOne Safety to consider annual checks in make/model to ensure ongoing proficiency, improve safety and reduce IDP/damage repair expenses.
If you have more questions about the new checkout process, feel free to ask or touch base with PlusOne Safety or your CFI.
Oil reporting procedure
In order to get a better and more accurate reading on the oil consumption, as well to manage the stock better, I have placed a sign (see below) in the oil box. Just point your phone camera at the QR code and open the link in your browser to report the current oil reading (from your preflight check) and the quantity you added (if any) as well as the remaining stock.
Maintenance update
Recently completed:
– 50 hour inspection, incl. bore scope (break in oil for 25h)
– Cylinder #5 replacement
– 50 hour inspection and oil change to normal oil (break in completed)
Here is your reminder to always book a standby schedule, even if your plans are not firm yet and may change. Lots of schedules get cancelled or rebooked. The odds are always in your favor.
Book your schedule today! Thanks for flying N173CD!
Happy Landings!
Phillip