Crankshaft Seal Blowout In Flight and Emergency Landing RV-7A

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by brad walton

When Van's has a service bulletin, they never contact me to tell me about it. I find out about it from this forum or from Van's web site.

Van's doesn't normally directly contact builders /owners for anything other than problems that are considered an immediate safety of flight issue.

If you have never received any communication it would be because of two possible reasons

- you have not notified Van's that you are the owner of your specific airplane

or

- there has not been any safety of flight issue on the model that you have.



We have been following this issue since it first surfaced.

I personally have been waiting for someone new to take advantage of the situation and start a new company called "ANTI BLOW AERO"

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by rvbuilder2002

I personally have been waiting for someone new to take advantage of the situation and start a new company called "ANTI BLOW AERO"

Ya'know, hot coffee hurts coming out your nose

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

BTW, my disappointment in customer service re: notifications of issues *extends to Van's Aircraft*...no email or snailmail notification of SBs? They expect people to monitor their website (or this forum) to figure out if a new SB has been issued?

Granted they aren't going to have info on owners of planes that have been sold, but once again...this is what computers are for. Create a database of aircraft kits sold (which they already have) to whom (which they know), and then use that. Set up a way for sales/transfers to be input to update the database.

It wouldn't be perfect, but it'd be better than relying on word of mouth to keep, say, a horizontal stabilizer from falling off due to cracks in a spar.

This is easy to describe but much more difficult to put into practice than you might think.
Anything issued by Van's or any other aircraft company (certified or otherwise) as a Service Bulletin is not considered to be an immediate safety of flight issue.
It is the responsibility of anyone doing an annual or a condition inspection to research any publications that have been issued against the aircraft.

That is one of the main reasons THIS page of the Van's web site exists.

[Doug Rohrer]

On a lighter note, it seems top me the OP was asking for this problem, given the flame paint job and all. Remember the guy who had a lightning bolt painted on his tail, and then had a lightning strike on his tail??? Just sayin'

[rightrudder]

Originally Posted by Doug Rohrer

On a lighter note, it seems top me the OP was asking for this problem, given the flame paint job and all. Remember the guy who had a lightning bolt painted on his tail, and then had a lightning strike on his tail??? Just sayin'

That does it...my paint scheme will incorporate about 100 hot air balloons. She'll float like a butterfly!

[n468ac]

PITTS aircraft has breather problems too

http://aviataircraft.com/pix/pbulletins/sb19.pdf


Seems below freezing the breather tube would close up.

PS: my valve is within 7" of the end of the exhaust pipe and have found no coking in the last 130 hours of operation.

Maybe if the saddle is to high the higher heat is causing the build up?

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by rvbuilder2002

Anything issued by Van's or any other aircraft company (certified or otherwise) as a Service Bulletin is not considered to be an immediate safety of flight issue.

I don't know about anyone else, but I might consider a blown crankshaft nose seal and subsequent loss of all the oil in my engine a safety of flight issue.

But maybe that's just me.

[Low Pass]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

Let's see how quickly lawyers get involved after a fatal accident or two which can be traced to a part or accessory sold by a vendor...you think the "Experimental" label will do anything to stave off the suits against the vendor, his supply chain, etc.? Hardly. Add to that a vendor who is aware of an issue and doesn't notify their customers? AHAHAHA...any good lawyer will have a field day with that.

If our EAB world is morphed into the same type of system that certified planes exist, then, yes. You'll see the ludicrous, INSANE lawsuits against the suppliers and the resultant archaic technology and high prices. That what you want? I am hearing this tone from those who want zero risk products and AD, SB, TSO, PMA, FAA, etc. accountability. I absolutely do not. What we have works very well for what it is.

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

Yes, unless you know every detail of every part of every component on your aircraft, you should get out of EAB.

Seriously?

Please reread my comment. I said anyone making modifications to critical systems and not knowing the ramifications should get out of EAB. Yes, I said that and stick by it 100%.

[aturner]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

I don't know about anyone else, but I might consider a blown crankshaft nose seal and subsequent loss of all the oil in my engine a safety of flight issue.

But maybe that's just me.

I'm not sure of your point here. Van's isn't the vendor for the system in question and doesn't endorse it's use. The manufacturer does not acknowledge the gravity of the issue. What we have is a difference of opinion regarding the safety of an aftermarket add-on. As others have stated, if owners are going to make modifications to the design, they also must take responsibility for the safety of such changes. IMHO, there are a number of snake-oil products out there, we have to be savvy enough to avoid them, or buy a Cessna.

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

I don't know about anyone else, but I might consider a blown crankshaft nose seal and subsequent loss of all the oil in my engine a safety of flight issue.

But maybe that's just me.

I totally agree with you.

But hopefully you don't expect Van's to issue a safety of flight notification for a device they did not design, they do not sell, and they do not recommend installing?