This is typical tow bar damage when the engine is started…………It’s happened twice on my fleet !
Yes, and a tow bar damage almost always damages one blade only – because the tow bar either breaks or flies away … Just attach the tow bar and turn the prop and you will know what happened.
A thought from some of the posts here and mails I have received.
Just possible that the aircraft was parked and the brakes left on. ( usually not done at the field so that ground crew can push,pull and manuever at will )
Later someone put a towbar on and tried to move her only to find the brakes locked. Climbs in to cockpit to release brakes and accidentally pushes starter button that I am told works without the keys in on the Traveller.
Sound plausible? I’ve not even looked to see if this could be done bit to answer a question raised here ……. Yes there is a towbar nearby that can be placed in position to make it almost match the dinged area of the prop. It’s also a very similar shade of red that ‘appears’ to be visible in the dent in the prop.
How does one get a forensic paint match done? I know the crap you see on CSI on TV is just that but it must be possible.
A google on
forensic services
digs up quite a few private firms.
OTOH if you got the police involved – may not be wise in the long run in the airfield political context – they might do it for free 
although the UK police are very sporadic as to what sort of “not totally criminal” dispute they want to get into. I once reported a probable burglary in progress at 3am and they told me to get dressed and investigate and call them again if it is a burglary (Sussex Police)
So Peter, did you investigate dressed or undressed???
I was not going to get dressed at 3am and if I went out undressed I would only scare them 
Any news Ian?
Insurance assessor meeting me, the ground handlers and the maintenance staff on Wednesday to go over what we do next.
Maintenance organisation is saying the best thing to do is go for a full rebuild at around 24k as opposed to a shock load at around 1/2 that. Saying that ‘there are always problems later’. Hmmm. If I replace the pots, pistons and wrist pins during the stripdown, go up to the H/C mod and change to a senseneich prop would I still get those issues?
Quite frankly I’m on the verge of writing the whole thing off, I can buy another cheapie for less than it’s going to cost me to fix this one or I could fly for years on rented aircraft and I really didn’t want to take on this sort of hassle. I’ve just bought a new house, relocated 350 miles, taken on a new business, am helping out one B.I.L who has been made redundant, storing my other B.I.L’s ‘stuff’ as he downsizes and am about to take on my brothers son so that he can go to a decent school given the state of South Africa!
What fun!
Maintenance organisation is saying the best thing to do is go for a full rebuild at around 24k as opposed to a shock load at around 1/2 that. Saying that ‘there are always problems later’.
Only if the job is bodged, which does happen often because people go to the same old “forum recommended” (meaning: the cheapest of five quotes since the syndicate would never agree on anything else) outfits every time.
12k for an O320 is a lot of money. In 2002 I paid about 7k for the IO540. In 2008 I paid $14k (plus 1k shipping) for the Lyco crank swap, which included 2.5k for the crank kit and then rebuilding the entire engine to NEW limits.
So I think the 12k is taking the p1ss, although I know that maintenance companies tend to put 1/3 on top of the engine shop quote! I reckon you could send your engine to my favourite top shop in the USA by DHL (as I have just done) and save money. The first Q is whether your political situation allows you to take the engine job out of the maintenance company’s hands and just use them for removing and reinstalling (about £1k-2k).
I can buy another cheapie for less than it’s going to cost me to fix this one
That’s a fair point but then you are potentially looking at another can of worms. As I always say, people sell planes for the same reasons they sell cars. Sometimes bona fide, sometimes not… whereas if you get your engine done by a good shop, you have a known quantity up front. That’s pretty important on a plane That’s why buying a plane with a shagged engine, discounted by the rebuild cost (which, with the insurance payout, is in effect what you are now at) is the best way to buy a plane.
…assuming the insurer pays out, collect the insurance. When you are ready to dip in again there are plenty other serviceable aircraft which can be bought for relatively modest amounts.
