Ovation engine intake/filter question after minor bird strike.

[Jeff Uphoff]

I hit a smallish bird the other night (in the dark!) at ~4000' AGL in my 2000 Ovation at about 160KTAS (on approach).

The blood streak started just below the point of my spinner, went between two of the prop blades, down the cowling, and across the engine intake, where a bit of feathery gore was left behind. I've cleaned all the surface mess up, but I can see some bits of bloody feathers deep down in the engine intake--looks like the edge of the intake took off the tip of the bird's wing.

My question: given everything ran fine after the strike--I landed within about 10 minutes, and the engine was running fine--I'm guessing it should be OK to fly the 40nm to my local shop to get things taken apart, perhaps a new induction filter put on, etc.? Given there are no big "chunks" down in the intake, a few bloody feathers shouldn't be a problem?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

--Up.

--

N194V, 2000 M20R, KROA

[anthonydesmet]

Not an expert and just thinking how I would step through it.  I would definitely take top and bottom cowl off for a thorough visual….fuel lines, no debris blocking air flow around cylinders, oil lines, prop governor lines….you may have the rest of the bird buried deep at 180kts.  If there is an A&P mech at your current field I’d have him look through it with you possibly…..in the Navy a bird strike warranted a mandatory inspection…usually visual of first couple stages then a borescope followed by a run up.

[Guest]

Other than a visual inspection for anything broken, fly it. If the filter isblocked the engine can breath through the alternate air system.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Jeff Uphoff said:

I hit a smallish bird the other night (in the dark!) at ~4000' AGL in my 2000 Ovation at about 160KTAS (on approach).

The blood streak started just below the point of my spinner, went between two of the prop blades, down the cowling, and across the engine intake, where a bit of feathery gore was left behind. I've cleaned all the surface mess up, but I can see some bits of bloody feathers deep down in the engine intake--looks like the edge of the intake took off the tip of the bird's wing.

My question: given everything ran fine after the strike--I landed within about 10 minutes, and the engine was running fine--I'm guessing it should be OK to fly the 40nm to my local shop to get things taken apart, perhaps a new induction filter put on, etc.? Given there are no big "chunks" down in the intake, a few bloody feathers shouldn't be a problem?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

--Up.

--

N194V, 2000 M20R, KROA

Save some of the snarge, I think there's an address at the Smithsonian to send it to for identification. 

[Jeff Uphoff]

14 hours ago, anthonydesmet said:

Not an expert and just thinking how I would step through it.  I would definitely take top and bottom cowl off for a thorough visual….fuel lines, no debris blocking air flow around cylinders, oil lines, prop governor lines….you may have the rest of the bird buried deep at 180kts.  If there is an A&P mech at your current field I’d have him look through it with you possibly…..in the Navy a bird strike warranted a mandatory inspection…usually visual of first couple stages then a borescope followed by a run up.

No part of the bird entered the engine compartment: it wasn't the cooling inlets that got feathered; rather, it was the (filtered) induction intake down low on the nose, just in front of the gear doors. The engine itself is clean. The initial point of impact was below the cooling inlets.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Jeff Uphoff

[Jeff Uphoff]

15 hours ago, Jeff Uphoff said:

I hit a smallish bird the other night (in the dark!) at ~4000' AGL in my 2000 Ovation at about 160KTAS (on approach).

The blood streak started just below the point of my spinner, went between two of the prop blades, down the cowling, and across the engine intake, where a bit of feathery gore was left behind. I've cleaned all the surface mess up, but I can see some bits of bloody feathers deep down in the engine intake--looks like the edge of the intake took off the tip of the bird's wing.

My question: given everything ran fine after the strike--I landed within about 10 minutes, and the engine was running fine--I'm guessing it should be OK to fly the 40nm to my local shop to get things taken apart, perhaps a new induction filter put on, etc.? Given there are no big "chunks" down in the intake, a few bloody feathers shouldn't be a problem?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

--Up.

--

N194V, 2000 M20R, KROA

I should have included this picture with my post.

Note: things cleaned up nicely with a wash mitt and some Ivory soap, leaving only some feathers behind deep down in the induction intake that I'll fish out with something else.

[LANCECASPER]

Is that what they mean by feathering the prop? 

[Jeff Uphoff]

21 hours ago, anthonydesmet said:

Not an expert and just thinking how I would step through it.  I would definitely take top and bottom cowl off for a thorough visual….fuel lines, no debris blocking air flow around cylinders, oil lines, prop governor lines….you may have the rest of the bird buried deep at 180kts.  If there is an A&P mech at your current field I’d have him look through it with you possibly…..in the Navy a bird strike warranted a mandatory inspection…usually visual of first couple stages then a borescope followed by a run up.

After all the exterior cleaning yesterday, I went this route today--took off both cowls (the lower one is a two-if-not-three-person affair on the M20R), went over everything, scraped out the induction intake, inspected the filter, etc. The mess was indeed confined to that intake. (The gear wasn't down yet when I hit the bird, so no chance of damage to it--it was clean.)

I could do without any more of these sort of nocturnal surprises!

--Up.

[LANCECASPER]

4 minutes ago, Jeff Uphoff said:

After all the exterior cleaning yesterday, I went this route today--took off both cowls (the lower one is a two-if-not-three-person affair on the M20R),

You think the Ovation is hard by yourself?  Try the Bravo. I got to where i could finally do it by myself, but gettting the ducts and everything lined up is much easier with two people.

When you do it a few times the Ovation isn't too bad and the Acclaim is a little easier than the Ovation. I like to put blue painters tape on the edges of the cowling and the fuselage so i don't scratch it up when I re-install.

[Jeff Uphoff]

42 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

You think the Ovation is hard by yourself?  Try the Bravo. I got to where i could finally do it by myself, but gettting the ducts and everything lined up is much easier with two people.

When you do it a few times the Ovation isn't too bad and the Acclaim is a little easier than the Ovation. I like to put blue painters tape on the edges of the cowling and the fuselage so i don't scratch it up when I re-install.

I took my Ovation lower cowl off solo today--I lay down under the plane and dropped it down onto myself.

I didn't dare try putting it back on solo, though--not after having it repainted barely over a week ago! I got help. (There were three of us, which made it easy. Two would have been doable but more difficult.)

--Up.

[rickseeman]

This is a great video on changing oil in an Ovation. He shows you how to he removes the cowling by himself.

 

 

[Jeff Uphoff]

3 minutes ago, rickseeman said:

This is a great video on changing oil in an Ovation. He shows you how to he removes the cowling by himself.

 

 

That's the video I watched that gave me the idea to lie down under the plane and drop the lower cowl down onto myself!

Having just had that cowling repainted a week earlier, I wasn't about to try putting it back on by myself, though--I was sure I'd drop it and scrape it all up. So despite his managing that by himself in the video, I recruited help!

[Guest]

7 hours ago, rickseeman said:

This is a great video on changing oil in an Ovation. He shows you how to he removes the cowling by himself.

 

 

There are just far too many things wrong in this video.  I guess he’s not too proud of his Ovation.

[PT20J]

3 hours ago, M20Doc said:

There are just far too many things wrong in this video.  I guess he’s not too proud of his Ovation.

 I especially liked the part where he shows the instructions on the filter and then proceeds to ignore them by smearing used oil on the gasket and hand tightening.

Watching the shoes fly off the wingwalk was the best part, though.

Someone needs to explain to me the screwdriver on the oil quick drain. Maybe it's an Ovation thing? And what's up with that funky oil drain hose?

Skip

[Andy95W]

4 hours ago, M20Doc said:

There are just far too many things wrong in this video.  I guess he’s not too proud of his Ovation.

“I change the oil in my car all the time.  I know what I’m doing.”

[Greg Ellis]

11 hours ago, M20Doc said:

There are just far too many things wrong in this video.  I guess he’s not too proud of his Ovation.

And how does he reattach the scat hose that attaches to the side of the lower cowling with one hand holding the cowling and the other holding the screwdriver?  It is one thing to take it off because you can just loosen the clamp and pull the cowling away but reattaching it is another thing and he fails to show that.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Greg Ellis said:

And how does he reattach the scat hose that attaches to the side of the lower cowling with one hand holding the cowling and the other holding the screwdriver?  It is one thing to take it off because you can just loosen the clamp and pull the cowling away but reattaching it is another thing and he fails to show that.

There is plenty of room to reach in from the top and reinstall the Scat duct. He’s a better videographer than maintainer.

[PT20J]

4 hours ago, M20Doc said:

There is plenty of room to reach in from the top and reinstall the Scat duct. He’s a better videographer than maintainer.

Yes, but you’ve got to admit he sure works fast!