Just got back from another experience. After extensive checks by two mechanics; taxiing, full power checks, T/R checks ad infinitum by Bill and me, we could find nothing wrong with the Lear 24. This was the one that gave us an uncommanded left engine T/R deployment on rotation last week.
Everything checked perfectly. Twice. Three times. There was no reason not to test fly this airplane. So we did.
Acceleration was normal, engine gauges were normal, speeds were normal. We rotated, gear came up and at about 500' on climbout the #1 (left) engine went "whomph" rather loudly and died. This was much less dramatic than the 30deg yaw of last week. As a matter of fact it wasn't much of a big deal at all. I told the tower our situation; they asked about souls and fuel aboard; we did a single engine failure checklist and a single engine landing checklist; and landed. This time the fire truck had time to get out to meet us.
On external inspection we could find nothing wrong. Nothing missing looking in the front or back, no puddles of oil. We took the lower cowling off...everything looks fine. Looked at the oil on the dipstick...clean as the day it was put in.
We have no second thoughts about taking this flight. Better to find this out without passengers, light and on a beautiful VFR day.
Ah, another fun day at the olde aerodrome.
Everything checked perfectly. Twice. Three times. There was no reason not to test fly this airplane. So we did.
Acceleration was normal, engine gauges were normal, speeds were normal. We rotated, gear came up and at about 500' on climbout the #1 (left) engine went "whomph" rather loudly and died. This was much less dramatic than the 30deg yaw of last week. As a matter of fact it wasn't much of a big deal at all. I told the tower our situation; they asked about souls and fuel aboard; we did a single engine failure checklist and a single engine landing checklist; and landed. This time the fire truck had time to get out to meet us.
On external inspection we could find nothing wrong. Nothing missing looking in the front or back, no puddles of oil. We took the lower cowling off...everything looks fine. Looked at the oil on the dipstick...clean as the day it was put in.
We have no second thoughts about taking this flight. Better to find this out without passengers, light and on a beautiful VFR day.
Ah, another fun day at the olde aerodrome.