I am really excited about our newfound capability to record extensive data from real, live, running engines in real airplanes. We've been doing this for several years, but the data is getting more and more sophisticated, and we're learning to make better use of it. We can now take this recorded data, quickly plot it on full-color graphs, picking and choosing whole flights or selected short parts of a flight, publish those charts here on the 'net or on paper, and then turn right around and make real-time animated displays for presentation in PowerPoint. We make full use of all these in our seminars, first showing exactly what the JPI showed in real time, then showing the graph, and then explaining and taking questions.These are absolute dynamite in a room full of people concerned about how to operate these magnificent engines. No one dozes when these are running!We are now beginning to get data files from the user community showing major failures! I've just received several wonderful files and pictures showing the flights just before a major malfunction, the malfunction itself, and follow-up pictures of the parts involved. The owner has very kindly given permission to show it all, and I would like to present it here pretty much as he saw it happen. Please think about this as you read, and think what you would have thought and done as it happened. This pilot handled a major emergency in fine fashion, given "what he knew, and when he knew it."Sheldon "Shelly" Holson is a retired businessman from Norwalk, Conn. He owns a 1994 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza with the fine IO-550 engine by TCM. He began flying in 1966, and has owned a variety of aircraft, including a Baron, two Dukes (one was destroyed in a tornado), and now the A36. He flew a lot on business, and takes regular recurrent training every six months.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/features/pelicans-perch-67analysis-of-an-in-flight-engine-failure