Question for Paul McBride, the General Aviation News engines expert: I have been maintaining a 1953 T-34 (Beech A45) with a Continental O-470-13 engine installed (original) for the last couple of years. The ownership group has been reporting a loss of propeller control after about 20 to 30 minutes into their flight, however it was happening intermittently and now it is happening almost every flight.
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Ask Paul: What are these weird marks?
I recently bought a borescope and used it on my neighbor’s experimental Panther. I discovered these marks, which are really strange.
Cropduster crashes after hitting tree in middle of field
The pilot improperly monitored the operating environment which resulted in a collision with a tree located in the middle of a field.
Chair flying doesn’t prepare pilot for flight
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
Pilot lands on same runway another plane is departing
The pilot failure to ensure the runway was clear before landing, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with runway lights.
Short field landing during checkride goes awry
The student pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the short field landing.
First flight after annual ends in crash from fuel exhaustion
The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Plane crashes when brakes fail
Loss of brake pressure to both sets of brakes during taxi due to failed brake caliper O-ring seals, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Inflight magneto check goes wrong when key breaks off in ignition
The instructor pilot’s decision to perform an inflight magneto check with no suitable area to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to correctly perform a magneto check that resulted in a total loss of engine power.









