Case 13: Failure of a Fuel Pump in an Aircraft Available to Purchase

An aircraft fuel pump failed just after takeoff, resulting in engine flameout. Investigators discovered that one of the seven pistons broke into several pieces, causing the quill shaft to fracture. An examination of the fracture surfaces revealed severe rubbing on the quill shaft and beach marks on the piston along with a nick on the opposite side of the barrel. In addition, the metal around the corresponding hole in the rotor had plastically deformed and the slipper pad was gone. Based on the investigation, the failure most likely occurred due to a problem with the spring guides or a jammed slipper pad. The chapter provides several recommendations to avoid such failures in the future.