AERO – CONTACT News Letter November, 2005

1.) On request of a customer we have carried out an inspection on an AI-25TL engine.

Please see below and consider our findings during your own operation.

Inspection on L-39 C S/N xxxxxx

“Engine Failure – Turbine destroyed on Ground” at Idle RPM

1. Engine

S/N : 905 xxxxxxxxxxx

Manufactured:
Service life time :
Former TBO :
Overhaul :
TTSN :
TSO :
Remaining Time :
History former military operation : unknown
History of US Operation : unknown
An engine log book was not available for inspection and review.

Inspection, in general:

The engine showed from the outside a normal condition of a used engine with slight
indications of corrosion. (On RPM-Transmitters, nuts, bolts, old safety wire etc.)

The turbine section is partially destroyed.

Detailed Inspection:

1. Removal of both igniter elements (Left and Right)

Result: - the L/H igniter shows a

normal condition; the start fuel line
was equipped with 2 restrictors as
requested, to provide start fuel for
low density and high altitude starts
 - the R/H igniter shows a
kind of a wet condition,
residual fuel was
present,

Fuel around sealant

Wet!

- the burner can is covered with soot. The start fuel line is not equipped with the
restrictors, to provide a rich mixture for engine start under cold and low
altitude/ground condition.

2. Removal of turbine cooling air tube from HPC Stage III to the Rear LPT Section

Result: - free airflow, no indications of restricted air delivery for cooling

3. Boroskop Inspection through igniter holes

R/H Igniter inspection point:

In forward direction, the fuel nozzles were found in a clean and good condition, no indications
of a disturbed fuel injection by the nozzles.

The holes for the secondary air (3 circles with holes of 0,6 mm diameter) were found partially
clogged with dust and dirt (no soot, no oil coke). On some of the nozzles approx 1/3 of the
existing holes are clogged.
Note:
The fuel injection by the spin type nozzle is carried in a spray angle. The secondary air for the
jet nozzle is provided by the 3 circles of holes in the counter direction of the fuel injection, to
ensure a perfect atomized air/fuel mixture.

L/H Igniter inspection point:

In forward direction, the fuel nozzles were found in a clean and good condition, no indications
of a disturbed fuel injection by the nozzles.

The holes for the secondary air (3 circles with holes of 0,6 mm diameter) were found partially
clogged with dust and dirt (no soot, no oil coke). On some of the nozzles approx 1/4 of the
existing holes are clogged.
Combustion Chamber, inspected from both sides:

Within the first third of the chamber, remarkable sediments of oil coke were found. It was
built up in a “Rocky Mountain Style” with an estimated height of 10...15mm.
This leads automatically to a disturbed burning zone inside of the combustion chamber due to
the disturbed secondary airflow. The air is provided over the big holes in the combustion
chamber wall, which form the burning zone and keep the hot flame in a distance to the
chamber wall. This creates over the diameter of the turbine some temperature and pressure
differences. The temperature differences on the leading edge of a HPT Stator blade must be
less than 30 Kelvin. Rotor blades passing the temperature / pressure difference zones will start
oscillating and can break.

On the left side, one of the approx 10 mm long secondary air guiding tubes in the combustion
chamber showed a melting spot.

∆T </= 30 Kelvin
 Clean combustion

Disturbed combustion due to reduced mL1 and coke on the combustion chamber wall,
developed as a result of improper return flow inside the combustion chamber.
(See Tech Description AI-25TL)
HP-Turbine (right side)

The stator blades showed in general a good condition, light brown color as normal, no
indications of melt off spots on blade leading edges and surfaces.
One turbine blade showed a high temperature spot, relatively sharp, in blue color, with no
melt off indication. The blade position is on the same level/direction as the R/H igniter is
situated.

HP-Turbine (left side)

The stator blades showed all a good condition, light brown color as normal, no indications of
melt off spots on blade leading edges and surfaces.

4. Boroskop - Inspection from behind of the turbine

Both stages of the LPT are partially destroyed.

All stator blades of the 1st and 2nd stages show melted areas or are totally melted off.
All rotor blades show on their damaged areas indications of cracks.

Reason: The stator is permanent in its position and exposed to the temperature. Rotor blades
are rotating over those hot spots and are not permanently exposed to those hot temperatures.

On the Rotor Stage of the High Pressure Turbine all blades were found to be intact. No
melting signs were found.
A number of rotor blades showed small damages (metal blanks) on their trailing edges. Those
damages were caused by rotating debris of the 1st LPT stage during engine spool down after
engine shut off.

Result: Melted parts of the LPT 1st stage stator damaged the LPT 1st stage rotor. Blades were
ripped off and damaged further in fwd direction the stator and to the rear the whole 2nd LPT
stage.

With the reduced LPT efficiency and the missing counter pressure, the burning zone of the
combustion chamber moved further backwards and overheated the turbine completely.
Since the HPT stage blades (Stator and Rotor) are forced cooled by channels and deflectors,
they could withstand such temperatures, the LPT (not forced cooled) not!

Turbine
cooling system
Contributing Facts:

On this engine the fuel controller (FCU) “Aggregate 4000” was exchanged. Since this time
the engine produced a fuel cloud out of the tail pipe prior to the ignition. The light up
happened with a flame out of the tail pipe. The indicated EGT was within the limits.
This is an indication that the FCU delivered too much fuel at the beginning of the engine start
process. This fuel finally burned in the turbine immediately after ignition.
It was reported that the turbine showed a very bright color in the past. That’s an indication of
high temperatures. This is not the usually known “hot start” with RPM hang up at 47%!
However, it is critical too, due to the short time of that occurrence it’s less dangerous to the
turbine at this moment, but with increasing numbers of such starts the effect will be the same
as of a typical hot start.

Reason for this engine behavior:

After installation of a used FCU on another used engine, it’s mandatory that the “Minimal
Fuel Consumption at Idle” must be checked and if necessary adjusted. This must be carried
out on screw # 40 and # 32, which are also responsible for the engine start process and EGT at
Engine start (see manual).
This engine adjustment was not carried out, due to the fact that according to the opinion
of the ground crew, the other parameters were found to be within the limits.

5. Conclusions:

Dirty, clogged secondary air holes around the fuel nozzles caused a disturbed burning zone in
the combustion chamber, which leads to an unusual temperature/pressure load at the turbine
and long term thermal stress to the turbine blades. The HPT can withstand this over a certain
time. It’s unknown from the history (especially during the operational time in the US) how
many real hot starts the engine suffered (engine log book was missing).
The improper fuel management after the FCU exchange worsened the situation by adding
additional thermal stress to the turbine.

Recommendations:

1. Compressor washes at each Annual / 100 hrs inspection, if engine is operated in

sandy/dusty areas at each 50 hrs inspection.
2. Parameter records of tech ground runs after each 15 days with the record of the
parameters in the original log book
3. Boroscope inspection at each 100 hrs.
4. APU performance check, monitoring of N-1 RPM before ignition and APU shut off
RPM
Discolored and damaged turbine due to permanent heat treatment
(Diesel Fuel burning!)
 Exact same condition, Nevada 2003

Fly safe!
Bernd