Bird dog down

[rigpiggy]

I heard that the bird dog in ymm had an off airport landing. Anyone know what's going on

[rigpiggy]

Engine failure short final, crew is ok

[Rquick]

Caravan?

[‘Bob’]

Commander

[Capt. Underpants]

Sounds like a loss of oil pressure caused a problem with propeller pitch control that contributed to the control problems on short final.

C-GSUJ, an Air Spray (1967) Ltd. Rockwell 690A, was conducting forest fire fighting operations
approximately 45 NM NW of the Fort McMurray Airport (CYYM), AB. About 1 hour and 45 minutes
into the flight, the pilot observed low oil pressure and fluctuating power indications on the left
engine (GARRETT, TPE331-10T-516K). There were no asymmetrical power affects on the aircraft
and the engine temperatures remained normal. The pilot decided to return to CYMM and
conducted a visual approach for Runway 26. While in the flare the aircraft yawed and rolled fairly
abruptly. The pilot brought both power levers to idle and set the aircraft down on the runway.
Directional control was difficult and the aircraft departed the right side of the runway and came to
rest in the grass. The aircraft was shut down and the pilot and fire attack officer egressed with no
issue and no injury. There were no observed damages to the aircraft.

Company maintenance found that an O-ring was missing on the oil filter housing for the left engine
resulting in a significant oil leak.

[Dronepiper]

Accident could have been avoided if he just shut the engine down and did a stabilized single engine approach and landing. All to often I read about this.

[boeingboy]

Accident could have been avoided if he just shut the engine down and did a stabilized single engine approach and landing. All to often I read about this.

Exactly.
The fact he was having low oil px and engine issues and didn't shut it down he was asking for trouble.

[digits_]

Accident could have been avoided if he just shut the engine down and did a stabilized single engine approach and landing. All to often I read about this.

Exactly.
The fact he was having low oil px and engine issues and didn't shut it down he was asking for trouble.

Perhaps. Depends on the amount of fate you have in the engine gauges. If the power was there and constant, and some gauges started acting weird, my first reaction would be faulty gauges. The gauges are often old, and not always a priority to be properly fixed.
"Contacts cleaned" might be a cheap fix to get the plane back in the air, but it really erodes one's fate in the instruments

[munzil]

Accident could have been avoided if he just shut the engine down and did a stabilized single engine approach and landing. All to often I read about this.

Exactly.
The fact he was having low oil px and engine issues and didn't shut it down he was asking for trouble.

Years, back I had exactly the same issue. I promptly shut down the #1 engine and with only one engine, I started the driftdown. Unfortunately the SESC was below terrain and I wasn't going to make the airport. I started the engine again which allowed me to make a paddock.

Starting the malfunctioning engine and keeping it going saved everyone's life on that plane that day.

[Dronepiper]

Accident could have been avoided if he just shut the engine down and did a stabilized single engine approach and landing. All to often I read about this.

Exactly.
The fact he was having low oil px and engine issues and didn't shut it down he was asking for trouble.

Years, back I had exactly the same issue. I promptly shut down the #1 engine and with only one engine, I started the driftdown. Unfortunately the SESC was below terrain and I wasn't going to make the airport. I started the engine again which allowed me to make a paddock.

Starting the malfunctioning engine and keeping it going saved everyone's life on that plane that day.

Why did you shut down the engine if you knew you couldn't maintain altitude above the terrain? Not throwing out flack, just genuinely curious.

If the engine is producing partial power, I 100% understand keeping it running to maintain altitude in the mountains. Once terrain clearance is no longer a factor though, there is no reason to keep a malfunctioning engine running.

Last thing anyone wants is to have an engine fail on final when you are in a low speed, high drag configuration. If you don't act immediately, you run the of risk of some fatal consequences. Bearskin's fatality in YRL always comes to my mind. Although their incident was sudden engine failure on final, it still shows how quickly things can go sideways when an engine fails on final approach.

Shutting the engine down before you start the approach allows you to finish all applicable checklists, and start the stabilized single engine approach without the fear of the engine failing when at low speed and high drag.

[munzil]

Why did you shut down the engine if you knew you couldn't maintain altitude above the terrain? Not throwing out flack, just genuinely curious.

Because the qrh called for the engine to be shut down.

Single engine theoretically should have held altitude, however in the combination of hot, heavy plane and old engines mean it didn't. Rising terrain also contributed.

I've had two engine failures over thirty years of flying, both in developing countries (this one was in the Congo). One can quarterback it to death. When it comes to the event, it ain't all like it is on paper.

[goingnowherefast]

One thing this CADOR doesn't mention is how low the oil pressure was. Some engines (no idea about this aircraft) have a procedure to run the engine at a reduced power setting if the oil pressure is within a lower, but specific range.

Green = good
Yellow = Some power allowed
Red = shut 'er down

Maybe it isn't a thing on this airframe, but it certainly is on others.

[J31]

Accident could have been avoided if he just shut the engine down and did a stabilized single engine approach and landing. All to often I read about this.

I agree! Why do we keep hearing about this stuff!

Poor maintenance causing an oil leak. Poor pilot training and understanding of what low oil pressure will do in a TPE331. Low oil pressure AND fluctuating torque is a dead giveaway that there is not much oil left in the engine!

The TPE331 manual calls for a shutdown with oil pressure below 40 PSI. You will lose control of the propellor with it most likely going to 0 pitch causing massive drag. With loss of oil pressure it WILL NOT feather like a PT6A.

The TPE331 is a good engine but unforgiving to those who do not understand its failure scenarios which can kill you in flight.