EAA Sport Aviation - January 2012

Flight-Test Profiles

The best way to diagnose an engine problem is usually in the air

BY MIKE BUSCH

“My engine started running rough about halfway home yesterday, so I dropped it off at the service center,” my client reported. “Could you please work with my mechanic to troubleshoot this problem?” Arggghhh!

MANY AIRCRAFT OWNERS HAVE a knee-jerk reaction to put their airplane in the shop whenever problems arise. Apparently, they assume that diagnosing the problem is the job of a mechanic. That’s like having a bellyache and making an appointment to see a surgeon. Like surgeons, aircraft mechanics are primarily in the business of fixing things that aren’t working properly. Before you go to a surgeon or a mechanic, you need to figure out what’s wrong. You need a diagnosis.

Every diagnosis starts with data. If you’re feeling unwell, the
initial data would probably come from a Q-and-A session with
your primary-care physician, with you giving a detailed account
of your symptoms. Additional tests such as blood work,
electrocardiogram, imaging studies, needle biopsy, etc. might be
used to gather additional data to refine and
confirm the diagnosis.

— RE1 09:05:00 1535 — RE2 09:05:00 1555 — RE3 09:05:00 1570 — RE4 09:05:00 1553 — RE5 09:05:00 1551 — RE6 09:05:00 1522 — RC1 09:05:00 271 — RC2 09:05:00 306 — RC3 09:05:00 280 — RC4 09:05:00 290 — RC5 09:05:00 256 — RC6 09:05:00 283 — MARK 09:05:00 Null — MARK 09:05:00 Null