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Re: Report of a Q-200 crash today

Mike Dwyer
 

Ya, an update for you all.

I called both AeroTech of Louisville and Niagara Airparts.  Mine was the AeroTech part.  Both told me of multiple instances of this pinion gear cracking.  The failures occur with both the Key and Pull Cessna starters.  At this point, if your using the Cessna Starter you may really want to switch to the SkyTech.  Supposedly the SkyTech has a key that breaks and the key protects from the gear failing (the key breaks first).

Had I known this, there is no way I'd have been running a Cessna Starter!
Mike Dwyer

Q200 Website: http://goo.gl/V8IrJF


On Mon, Apr 11, 2022 at 11:30 AM Richard Thomson <richard@...> wrote:

    I went for the SkyTek in the end as well Mike, after having bought the B&C then realising the firewall mod needed. The B&C is belting around in a F1 pylon racer now.

   The C12ST2 seems to start well and only on size 6 feeders.

    It seems odd that the starter pinion should fail, it is usually the Mag couplings isnt it. For me its the main reason to go EI. Next years mod.

    Rich T

   

On 09/04/2022 16:23, Paul Fisher wrote:
I also eliminated the sprag clutch on my key start O-200, but went with the SkyTek starter.  I suspect the B&C starter is better, but the SkyTek didn't require any changes.  Unbolt the old and bolt on the new.  I've got less than 50 hours on it, but so far I'm very happy with it.

I have replaced the sprag clutch multiple times in the last 30+ years.  It would fail "open", so the starter wouldn't turn the engine, it would just slip.  The last time it failed, it failed "closed" such that the starter would continue to spin with the engine running.  That seemed like a failure waiting to happen!  So I got rid of it all together.  I'm much more comfortable with the SkyTek C12ST2.

Paul Fisher
Q-200 N17PF

On Fri, Apr 8, 2022, 23:05 Bruce Crain <jcrain2@...> wrote:
B and C in Newton, KS makes a light weight starter that eliminates the old Sprag Clutch.  It turns over a lot faster than the old starter.  You will need to modify the firewall cut out a small bit but the starter is a solid player!
Bruce Crain


On Apr 8, 2022, at 3:54 PM, Jay Scheevel <jay@...> wrote:



Thanks for the update, Mike. This is all good stuff to know. Again, sorry about your airplane, but glad you are doing well, and willing to share the results of what you find.

 

Cheers,

Jay

 

From: main@Q-List.groups.io <main@Q-List.groups.io> On Behalf Of Mike Dwyer
Sent: Friday, April 8, 2022 2:02 PM
To: main@q-list.groups.io
Subject: Re: [Q-List] Report of a Q-200 crash today

 

So an update on my engine failure.  

I got a bit further into the engine tear down and when I pulled the starter, there was the smoking gun.  The starter motor turns a large gear that goes through a sprag clutch into a small gear that drives the crankshaft.  I have a pull starter on mine so this whole mess disengages from the crankshaft gear when you release the pull handle.  My small gear had disintegrated.  I only found about half of it.  The rest is rattling around in the accessory case somewhere, which happens to be located where the oil pump is driven.  Or possibly a piece of hardened steel got into the oil pump and damaged it.  More to follow, but it looks like the root cause was a starter gear failure.  The part was the almost new Niagara Airparts upgraded Sprag Clutch and it had about 100 hours on it!   On the day of the accident, the plane started perfectly.

Mike Dwyer xQ200

 

Q200 Website: http://goo.gl/V8IrJF

 

 

On Sun, Mar 20, 2022 at 6:39 AM Adam hied <hiedadam@...> wrote:

Hey mike,

Glad you’re okay. I was really sad about the accident. Was really hoping to get in touch with you and do some formation once I finish the install of the new engine in the dragonfly since I’m over on the east coast and my family lives near brooksville.

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