Submitted by Keefley on Fri, 14/02/2020 - 17:28
Forums:
Hi,
Some time ago the Dakota flew over my house in South Cheshire with it's left engine shut down. I learned that it had diverted to Manchester airport and stayed there for work to be carried out.
Out of curiosity what was the issue with the engine and how did the engineers rectify the problem?
Thanks and regards
RAF Sgt Airframe Technician retired
Active CAA Licenced aircraft engineer.
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Good morning,
The BBMF C-47 Dakota suffered an in-flight emergency on Saturday 14th September 2019, resulting in a diversion to Manchester Airport for a single-engine landing.
The Dakota was on a routine afternoon sortie to conduct flypasts at seven different venues. Approximately half way through the sortie the Dakota’s port Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp radial engine suffered a failure of one of its 14 cylinders, which resulted in some rough running, a drop in manifold air pressure and an oil leak. These minor symptoms exemplify these radial engines’ capacity to continue to produce power even when a cylinder has failed. Having identified and assessed the situation, the crew carried out a controlled shutdown of the port engine, including feathering the propeller to minimise drag. The aircraft then diverted to the nearest suitable and available airfield, which happened to be Manchester Airport, and landed safely from a single-engine approach, with just the starboard engine running.
The BBMF engineers replaced the Dakota’s port engine with a new/refurbished unit at Manchester Airport and the aircraft flew back to Coningsby on 3rd October 2019.
Best wishes,
Amy - RAF Memorial Flight Club
Many thanks for your detailed reply Amy, it's appreciated.
Kind regards
Keith Leyland