Left Mag Dead... After Annual???

So I just got out of a $1900 annual, and stopped by, on Friday, to gas
the plane up for a flight to happen this week... I tried to start the
plane up (Cessna 172), and it never as much as sputtered. The battery
was well charged and it turned over, and over, and over, and over...
Never fired though!?!? I tried for about 5 minutes, and ended up just
leaving it, for the mechanic to look at.

I called this morning, and they are still looking at it. He said, for
some reason, the left mag is dead. He's supposed to call me this
afternoon, when he has something definitive.

I've never had a problem starting this plane (with the exception of a
low battery), and was quite surprised to encounter something like that,
immediately after an annual... It would have been different, if it had
occured during regular useage, but when you go to pick up your airplane
from annual, you are expecting it to be in as tip-top shape as it can
be.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? The mechanic said the plane was
started and running after annual, so is this just a major coincidence?
Is it true??? Are we all just test pilots, when we pick our planes up
from an annual?

Thanks for any input.

Todd

Yesterday I watched a C150 go out of a local shop after an annual. The
owner was beyond his 90 day solo privileges, so he and a CFI took it up for
some training. It came back with the alternator over charging.

A couple months ago an Ercoupe came out of a shop with the carb heat scat
tube disconnected. He was forced to make an off field landing after getting
carb ice.

The AI that signed off our Aztec had forgotten to reconnect an oil line to
the oil cooler on one engine, it puked oil all over the ramp on initial
startup.

Things like these are almost guaranteed to happen. I'm not saying that they
"should" happen, I'm just saying that they will. Mechanics are human. Ask
yours how many times he got interrupted while doing your annual, you'll be
amazed. Every interruption is a chance that something either won't get
done, or won't get finished. I'm not making excuses for them, but only
pointing out the fact that we as pilots should be aware of these things and
be extra vigilant immediately after the AI throws us the keys and says "It's
all ready to go".

Your mag problem could be something as simple as that they didn't tighten it
up firmly after timing it. It started and ran after they were done, but
then vibrated loose. Or it could have failed completely, just because it
was time for it to fail. Glad the problem surfaced on the ground.

Jim



"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I just got out of a $1900 annual, and stopped by, on Friday, to gas
the plane up for a flight to happen this week... I tried to start the
plane up (Cessna 172), and it never as much as sputtered. The battery
was well charged and it turned over, and over, and over, and over...
Never fired though!?!? I tried for about 5 minutes, and ended up just
leaving it, for the mechanic to look at.

I called this morning, and they are still looking at it. He said, for
some reason, the left mag is dead. He's supposed to call me this
afternoon, when he has something definitive.

I've never had a problem starting this plane (with the exception of a
low battery), and was quite surprised to encounter something like that,
immediately after an annual... It would have been different, if it had
occured during regular useage, but when you go to pick up your airplane
from annual, you are expecting it to be in as tip-top shape as it can
be.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? The mechanic said the plane was
started and running after annual, so is this just a major coincidence?
Is it true??? Are we all just test pilots, when we pick our planes up
from an annual?

Thanks for any input.

Todd

On 02/27/06 08:49, three-eight-hotel wrote:
So I just got out of a $1900 annual, and stopped by, on Friday, to gas
the plane up for a flight to happen this week... I tried to start the
plane up (Cessna 172), and it never as much as sputtered. The battery
was well charged and it turned over, and over, and over, and over...
Never fired though!?!? I tried for about 5 minutes, and ended up just
leaving it, for the mechanic to look at.

I called this morning, and they are still looking at it. He said, for
some reason, the left mag is dead. He's supposed to call me this
afternoon, when he has something definitive.

I've never had a problem starting this plane (with the exception of a
low battery), and was quite surprised to encounter something like that,
immediately after an annual... It would have been different, if it had
occured during regular useage, but when you go to pick up your airplane
from annual, you are expecting it to be in as tip-top shape as it can
be.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? The mechanic said the plane was
started and running after annual, so is this just a major coincidence?
Is it true??? Are we all just test pilots, when we pick our planes up
from an annual?

Thanks for any input.

Todd


I like Jim's response so I won't go there. I just wanted to mention that
in this month's IFR Refresher magazine, they have an article about a
high-time pilot that was to transport a Citation jet after maintenance,
and was taking off within about 15 minutes of picking up the keys. The
weather was IMC and it appeared no pre-flight planning was done, not
much of a walk around, etc.

Right after take off, he reported a minor problem and said he needed to
return to the field, and crashed within about 2 minutes.



--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 11:07:43 -0600, "Jim Burns"
wrote:

Yesterday I watched a C150 go out of a local shop after an annual. The
owner was beyond his 90 day solo privileges, so he and a CFI took it up for
some training. It came back with the alternator over charging.

A couple months ago an Ercoupe came out of a shop with the carb heat scat
tube disconnected. He was forced to make an off field landing after getting
carb ice.

The AI that signed off our Aztec had forgotten to reconnect an oil line to
the oil cooler on one engine, it puked oil all over the ramp on initial
startup.

Things like these are almost guaranteed to happen. I'm not saying that they
"should" happen, I'm just saying that they will. Mechanics are human. Ask
yours how many times he got interrupted while doing your annual, you'll be
amazed. Every interruption is a chance that something either won't get
done, or won't get finished. I'm not making excuses for them, but only
pointing out the fact that we as pilots should be aware of these things and
be extra vigilant immediately after the AI throws us the keys and says "It's
all ready to go".

When I was training the aircraft C152) was given a service (50hr?)
before my long X/Country. Checked the oil and it barely touched the
bottom of the stick. Told the instructor who said can't be! Took a
look himself, then went off to find the mechanic :-)

I have had several mechanic induced problems with my bird. Best to
climb as fast as possible and stay over landable terrain until things
are sorted out. Just the way things are.

Extra vigilance is a good tip! I've heard the stories about crossing
the cables up, which would really make flying/landing a challenge! ;-)

I'm glad it happened on the groud too!

Thanks,
Todd

I'm also glad it happened on the "ground"!

Three magic words to live by:

OWNER ASSISTED INSPECTIONS


Jim



"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I just got out of a $1900 annual

I've gone to pick up a plane and had it begin spraying fuel out from
under the cowling as soon as I thurned on the fuel pump. Another time
two sparkplug connectors were several turns from even being finger
tight. Never expect an airplane to be airworthy when the mechanic is
finished with it.
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

An aircraft owner should never be surprised by problems occuring after a
mechanic turns the plane back to the owner, in fact you will live longer if
you assume there will be problems after a mechanic turns the plane lose.
The stories are legion.


"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I just got out of a $1900 annual, and stopped by, on Friday, to gas
the plane up for a flight to happen this week... I tried to start the
plane up (Cessna 172), and it never as much as sputtered. The battery
was well charged and it turned over, and over, and over, and over...
Never fired though!?!? I tried for about 5 minutes, and ended up just
leaving it, for the mechanic to look at.

I called this morning, and they are still looking at it. He said, for
some reason, the left mag is dead. He's supposed to call me this
afternoon, when he has something definitive.

I've never had a problem starting this plane (with the exception of a
low battery), and was quite surprised to encounter something like that,
immediately after an annual... It would have been different, if it had
occured during regular useage, but when you go to pick up your airplane
from annual, you are expecting it to be in as tip-top shape as it can
be.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? The mechanic said the plane was
started and running after annual, so is this just a major coincidence?
Is it true??? Are we all just test pilots, when we pick our planes up
from an annual?

Thanks for any input.

Todd