Corp light transport partial engine failure unable maintain altitude results in loss of standard sep...

Attributes
ACN	105883
Time
Date	198903
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 38200 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j60
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	105883
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While cruising our light transport at FL390, the left engine power became erratic and within a 3 min time span spooled down to around 30%. With that lack of power we had to descend to maintain a workable airspeed and notified ATC of our problem within 200' of our deviation and requested lower. He asked if we could maintain FL390 for 3 mins. We replied, 'no, we cannot,' at which time he cleared us to FL240 and requested a left turn. He then turned an air carrier jet at FL370 (opp direction) also left, at which time we saw the traffic and reported so. Nothing more was said. We did not declare an emergency as our handling was direct and the equipment (fire, etc) would be standing by anyway. I knew nothing about a near miss until talking to an air standards inspector from den on the phone. He requested we call him upon shut down at the FBO, through ground control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: determined cause of power loss was failure of fuel controller. Reporter said nothing was said about near miss in flight and his first knowledge was when inspector called. Said air carrier jet may have made report, but after conversation figures inspector was just getting information because of loss of sep which could not be avoided because of proximity at time altitude was lost, but never any consideration possibility of near midair collision. Has heard nothing more from inspector.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP LTT PARTIAL ENGINE FAILURE UNABLE MAINTAIN ALT RESULTS IN LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION BEFORE ARTCC CAN EFFECT LATERAL SEPARATION. EMERGENCY NOT DECLARED.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING OUR LTT AT FL390, THE LEFT ENG PWR BECAME ERRATIC AND WITHIN A 3 MIN TIME SPAN SPOOLED DOWN TO AROUND 30%. WITH THAT LACK OF PWR WE HAD TO DSND TO MAINTAIN A WORKABLE AIRSPD AND NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR PROB WITHIN 200' OF OUR DEVIATION AND REQUESTED LOWER. HE ASKED IF WE COULD MAINTAIN FL390 FOR 3 MINS. WE REPLIED, 'NO, WE CANNOT,' AT WHICH TIME HE CLRED US TO FL240 AND REQUESTED A LEFT TURN. HE THEN TURNED AN ACR JET AT FL370 (OPP DIRECTION) ALSO LEFT, AT WHICH TIME WE SAW THE TFC AND RPTED SO. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS OUR HANDLING WAS DIRECT AND THE EQUIP (FIRE, ETC) WOULD BE STANDING BY ANYWAY. I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT A NEAR MISS UNTIL TALKING TO AN AIR STANDARDS INSPECTOR FROM DEN ON THE PHONE. HE REQUESTED WE CALL HIM UPON SHUT DOWN AT THE FBO, THROUGH GND CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DETERMINED CAUSE OF PWR LOSS WAS FAILURE OF FUEL CTLR. RPTR SAID NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT NEAR MISS IN FLT AND HIS FIRST KNOWLEDGE WAS WHEN INSPECTOR CALLED. SAID ACR JET MAY HAVE MADE RPT, BUT AFTER CONVERSATION FIGURES INSPECTOR WAS JUST GETTING INFO BECAUSE OF LOSS OF SEP WHICH COULD NOT BE AVOIDED BECAUSE OF PROX AT TIME ALT WAS LOST, BUT NEVER ANY CONSIDERATION POSSIBILITY OF NMAC. HAS HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM INSPECTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Corp light transport partial engine failure unable maintain altitude results in loss of standard separation before ARTCC can effect lateral separation. Emergency not declared.