Get The Lead Out

There is a fundamental reason we perform preflight run-ups and engine checks before takeoff: It is a whole lot better to find problems at 1G, 0 feet agl and 0 knots airspeed than it is while airborne. Making sure a powerplant will work as we intend before taking off is just good airmanship. A good run-up doesnt mean everything is perfect, however, and we train for airborne engine problems, including full use of its controls and instruments.

Mike Hart

Tuesday, March 07, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots experienced an unexpected in-flight engine roughness, requiring urgent diagnosis that initially led to a misdiagnosis of carb ice before correctly identifying a fouled spark plug on cylinder 3 using magneto checks and an engine monitor.
Despite diagnosing a "minor" issue like a fouled spark plug, the pilots prioritized safety by returning to the airport and declaring an emergency, which allowed them to deviate from normal procedures for a conservative, high-altitude approach and landing.
The experience highlighted that even seemingly minor engine issues in flight warrant serious, conservative action, and lead fouling in aviation engines can often be prevented or mitigated through proper operational techniques like leaning and appropriate RPM management.

See a mistake? Contact us.

There is a fundamental reason we perform preflight run-ups and engine checks before takeoff: It is a whole lot better to find problems at 1G, 0 feet agl and 0 knots airspeed than it is while airborne. Making sure a powerplant will work as we intend before taking off is just good airmanship. A good run-up doesn’t mean everything is perfect, however, and we train for airborne engine problems, including full use of its controls and instruments.

Sometimes, though, the problems we’re looking for don’t reveal themselves when it is convenient for us, and we have to diagnose engine issues in the air. Urgently. And fly the airplane at the same time. It is not a comfortable experience. I was recently reminded of this while flying with a fellow pilot, whom I’ll call Roger, who simply needed some instrument dual in his Cessna 182.