I had just landed at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport and was on a quick break in the middle of a busy workday, with just enough time between flights to grab a salad for lunch and check my email. As soon as I turned on my phone, I saw the message from Roy, lead mechanic at Aero Maintenance in Vancouver, Washington. My heart did a little flutter. (Whose wouldn’t when his airplane is in the shop for its annual?) As I began reading, apprehension turned to disbelief. “We found a lot of metal in your oil screen.” These are the words that strike fear into every aircraft owner, and now they’d been said of my 1953 Piper Pacer.
Engine Damage Leads to a Turning Point for Airplane Owner
Key Takeaways:
- During its annual inspection, the author's 1953 Piper Pacer engine was found to have catastrophic damage, with significant metal in the oil screen, despite recently flying normally and showing no instrument abnormalities.
- Faced with repair costs exceeding the aircraft's value and having already planned to sell the Pacer due to an impending major life change, the author decided against fixing the engine.
- The author sold the non-functional Pacer "as-is" within a week and is now embarking on a new adventure with his wife, living on and cruising the world in their newly purchased 42-foot sailboat, *Windbird*.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
