Turboprop engine repairs, for less

Take Pratt & Whitney’s popular and hardworking PT6 series of turboprop engines. More than 51,000 PT6s were built, and they’ve been the mainstay powerplant for many a general aviation airplane—such as the Beech King Air series, Piper Cheyennes, Cessna Caravans, Pilatus PC–12s, Daher TBMs and Kodiaks, and many others, including agplanes.

PT6s may have long recommended times between overhaul (3,500 hours is common) and hot section inspection intervals, and have earned reputations as “bulletproof.” That doesn’t mean maintenance isn’t required from time to time. And when maintenance intervals arrive, it’s in an operator’s best interest to follow Pratt & Whitney’s guidelines. Apart from the obvious safety reasons, resale value is another major reason for staying on top of any turbine engine’s maintenance and repair needs.

Typically, there are two ways to go when it comes to turbine engine repair and overhaul. Some prefer to use Pratt & Whitney’s authorized service facilities and original equipment replacement parts. Another option is to use qualified independent shops that use FAA-approved parts manufacturer approval (PMA) parts. PMA parts are manufactured to standards that equal or exceed those of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

One such shop is Turbines Inc. based in Terre Haute, Indiana. Established in 1981, Turbines offers overhauls and engine parts at prices that can run $100,000 less than those charged by Pratt & Whitney. An overhaul of a PT6A-28 engine—the type used in some King Air models—costs between $180,000 and $245,000, according to Turbines President Peggy Mills. The $245,000 figure includes replacement parts for all but life-limited parts. Turbines uses a mix of OEM and PMA parts, depending on customer preference or the part in question. PMA parts suppliers include Extex Engineered Products of Gilbert, Arizona, and Core Parts LLC of Mesa, Arizona. Repairs are approved by on-site, FAA-approved designated engineering representatives (DERs).

Turbines is a privately owned, FAA-approved Part 145 repair station that provides overhauls as well as repairs, including those involving foreign object damage to compressor components, prop strikes, starter gears, engine overtemps, and much more. “We use cost-plus pricing and have a low overhead, which lets us charge about 60 percent less than Pratt & Whitney,” said Mills. “We make money, but we don’t kill you.” Overhauls are warrantied to 600 hours or one year, and workmanship is covered up to TBO.