Systemized

Has anyone ever experienced a PT6A engine failure?

If so, what section or component failed, what was the time/cycles on the engine, type of pt6, type aircraft, etc.?

FlyJSH

A few minutes with google yielded:


The PC-12 is a state-of-the-art single engine turboprop aircraft. Since the first date of
manufacture, all single engine turboprop aircraft combined have compiled over
8,000,000 (eight million) flight hours with no (that’s zero) fatalities due to engine
failure.

http://www.westair.com/images/pdfs/P...%20Article.pdf

The PT6 has earned a reputation for excellent reliability. ATC position paper,2 entitled Commercial Passenger Service-Night/Instrument Meteorological Conditions in Single-Engined Aeroplanes, refers to an optimistic engine failure rate for the Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine of 1/200000hr. The source of this data is not cited.

Feature - Transport Canada


Blade failure:

African Bush Pilot: Caravan Engine failure... severe PT6 (turbo prop engine) malfunction revisited
African Bush Pilot: Bush Pilot highs and lows

Hot section failure:

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/...507077_002.pdf


When I last flew the Caravan in 2000, there had been no documented engine failures, but there had been a few times when the emergency power lever was used (pneumatic issues).

withthatsaid182

I know there have been a few Ng rollbacks in the Pilatus. None of which were recovered with the MOR. They make pretty good gliders with the prop feathered or so I have heard.

sharkbait

I have not been impressed with the -66. I don't know if it is because of the pusher design, but I know of many failures.

The one I had was a gearbox failure.

Planespotta

No failures, a few chip detect lights in the -65B.
That stat from Google says "no (that’s zero) fatalities due to engine failure," not zero engine failures. Wonder if any Platypus drivers out there have lost their big fan...

thomasw

-44 power turbine failure (8k+ hours since new)
-20 #3 bearing failure (10k+ hours since new)
-34 FCU failure (15 hrs SOH)
-28 Compressor turbine failure (6k+ since new)
-20 gearbox failure. ( who knows how much)

All were on king airs

Earl81

I knew of a caravan with a pratt who lost its oil pump, had to shut down. Pretty rare occurrence losing a pratt but anythings possible

Systemized

That's quite a bit of experience right there.

Were those engines all overhauled at the factory?

jungle

I have had one inflight failure due to gearbox self-destruct, chiplight, shutdown and divert in Saudi Arabia. I have witnessed two other failures, one shed most of the turbine through the exhaust leaving some nice dents in those beautiful hand welded parts and another that made it back to base with half of the turbine melted away.

Overall they have proved incredibly reliable though, but like any machine they can and will fail. You can also be struck by lightning. The odds are that neither will happen, but the longer your timeline the more likely a failure.

jungle

Snakebit much?