Page 11 - April 25

King Air lineage since the 1960s. But its forward-facing
inlet, designed to gulp air for those twin turbines, is also a
magnet for trouble. FOD can come from anywhere: birds,
runway gravel, ice chunks dislodged from the airframe or
even a stray wrench left behind by a distracted mechanic.
The damage ranges from minor compressor blade nicks
costing a few thousand dollars to repair to catastrophic
failures requiring a full engine teardown and bills soaring
past $200,000. For King Air operators who rely on these
aircraft for everything from business trips to personal
adventures, FOD can be a mechanical and financial
headache.
Take a real-world example: In 2024, a King Air operator
in Florida reported FOD. The PT6 was inspected and
many blades were found damaged. The repair estimate
was $103,000 plus weeks of downtime as rental engines
are hard to find. For owners enrolled in the MORE
program, such incidents raise a critical question: How
does an engine past its original TBO avoid betterment
deductions from the insurance adjustor or receive parts
that are of equal value? Splitting this burden between
the King Air owner and the insurance company becomes
an art, not a science.
The MORE program:
Maintenance meets FOD
It’s not insurance, rather it’s a proactive maintenance
contract designed to keep your engine in peak condition
through scheduled overhauls, parts replacement and
discounted repairs.
The MORE program is a lifeline for PT6 operators.
It’s not insurance, it’s a proactive maintenance contract
designed to keep your engine in peak condition through
scheduled overhauls, parts replacement and discounted
repairs. Enrollment levels vary, from basic plans covering
routine maintenance to comprehensive packages that
include unscheduled events. But when it comes to FOD,
the MORE program’s role isn’t always straightforward
and can even complicate an insurance claim.
If your PT6 suffers FOD, the MORE program might
cover repairs, but most likely this peril is referred to
the insurance policy. Most standard MORE agreements
focus on wear-and-tear or scheduled overhauls – think
hot section inspections or turbine rebuilds – not sudden,
external events like a bird strike. One King Air owner
I spoke with learned this the hard way after a gravel
22
29
6
APRIL 2025 KING AIR MAGAZINE •
9