Mike

You didn’t mention if you performed the pre-requisite tuning ritual in Florida?

Was a complete engine tuning procedure completed at Top Gun? I’d suggest it was paramount to re-tune the engine. After all it had a couple hours break-in time and twelve flights on a different fuel in another country.

Tuning the engine on the ground makes no allowance for loads and rpm realized in the air. Careful attention must be aimed at the needle settings with this in mind.

Was the engine previously run with synthetic oil for break-in? Changing the oil from petroleum based to synthetic would have required a hard look at the needles in of itself.