Failed, Broken, Leaking

The pilot observed smoke in the cockpit, declared an emergency and landed normally. On inspection, the muffler’s aft wall was missing and exhaust was directed onto the battery box, which melted the battery and battery contactor, clock fuse holder, both battery cables and boots. Also, the gascolator push/pull control knob was melted and all wiring into the engine compartment was destroyed. The owner recalls the engine backfiring when a student performed ignition test at high rpm.

Editorial Staff

Friday, May 24, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Aircraft experienced a variety of critical component failures, including mufflers, landing gear mechanisms, fuel injectors, and engine seals, leading to inflight emergencies or operational anomalies.
Common outcomes of these failures involved smoke or strange odors in the cockpit, engine performance issues, and mechanical failures such as a collapsed nose gear during landing.
Some issues, like extensive flap corrosion, were discovered during routine inspections, highlighting the importance of thorough maintenance.
Component failures occurred across a broad spectrum of service times, from parts with only 23 hours to those with thousands of hours.

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Cessna 150E
Failed Muffler
The pilot observed smoke in the cockpit, declared an emergency and landed normally. On inspection, the muffler’s aft wall was missing and exhaust was directed onto the battery box, which melted the battery and battery contactor, clock fuse holder, both battery cables and boots. Also, the gascolator push/pull control knob was melted and all wiring into the engine compartment was destroyed. The owner recalls the engine backfiring when a student performed ignition test at high rpm.
Part Total Time: 3228 hours