Narrative:

I departed cabo san lucas at xa, 11/thu/89. I personally observed and verified the topping off of both fuel tanks. The right fuel gauge only registered 1/2 full, even thought the tank was completely full. Takeoff was normal, and I climbed to 10500' in approximately 20 mins, with the mixtures set at 90 #/hour in each engine. The engine pace setting for the climb was 33' and 2450 RPM. Level-off was normal and the fuel flow was set at 80 #/hour. Cruise power setting was 33' and 2450 in the front, and 31' and 2450 in the rear (due to a tendency in the rear engine to run hot). Approximately 2 hours out of cabo, the pressure gauge indicated a failure of the front engine vacuum pump. Also, when adjusting the mixtures, I observed when moving the mixture control for the read engine forward, no change in fuel flow or egt occurred. Accordingly, the mixtures were matched, and both indicated 80 #/hour. Upon reaching tij control, conditions were observed and IFR flight plan obtained through tij approach control. Shortly after being handed off to san approach, the read engine abruptly stopped. I immediately attempted to cross fuel and hit the boost pump, and attempted to restart the rear engine unsuccessfully. I then feathered the engine and declared an emergency with san approach, as at this pint I had only a front engine and no gyros. San approach proceeded to give me no gyro vectors and a descent to 4000'. Upon reaching 4000', I observed a hole in the clouds to VFR conditions and immediately went for it. San approach informed me I was below the minimum vectoring altitude and requested a climb to 4000'. I informed them that I VFR and asked for directions to the nearest airport. They informed me field was 2 mi and 12 O'clock and handed me off to the tower. I made a straight-in approach and was high and fast over the threshold, which resulted in blowing the nose tire. Landing resulted in only the blown nose tire and slightly damaged propeller tips and no other injuries or structural damage to the plane. In reviewing the actions taken, the decisions made were proper with the only change that I would make being entering the pattern and stabilizing and not doing a straight-in approach, in hindsight. However, conflicting with this was the fear that there was fuel contamination and that a front engine failure might be imminent as both fuel tanks were fueled from the same tank. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that no fuel contamination was found and in fact the right fuel tank was empty as shown on the tank quantity gauge. He states that he believes more aggressive efforts might have restarted the rear engine using fuel xfeed and thus provided a vacuum system and flight instruments.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TWIN EXPERIENCES ENGINE FAILURE AFTER PREVIOUS LOSS OF VACUUM PUMP ON OTHER ENGINE RESULTING IN NO GYRO IFR FLT IN IMC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED CABO SAN LUCAS AT XA, 11/THU/89. I PERSONALLY OBSERVED AND VERIFIED THE TOPPING OFF OF BOTH FUEL TANKS. THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE ONLY REGISTERED 1/2 FULL, EVEN THOUGHT THE TANK WAS COMPLETELY FULL. TKOF WAS NORMAL, AND I CLBED TO 10500' IN APPROX 20 MINS, WITH THE MIXTURES SET AT 90 #/HR IN EACH ENG. THE ENG PACE SETTING FOR THE CLB WAS 33' AND 2450 RPM. LEVEL-OFF WAS NORMAL AND THE FUEL FLOW WAS SET AT 80 #/HR. CRUISE PWR SETTING WAS 33' AND 2450 IN THE FRONT, AND 31' AND 2450 IN THE REAR (DUE TO A TENDENCY IN THE REAR ENG TO RUN HOT). APPROX 2 HRS OUT OF CABO, THE PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATED A FAILURE OF THE FRONT ENG VACUUM PUMP. ALSO, WHEN ADJUSTING THE MIXTURES, I OBSERVED WHEN MOVING THE MIXTURE CONTROL FOR THE READ ENG FORWARD, NO CHANGE IN FUEL FLOW OR EGT OCCURRED. ACCORDINGLY, THE MIXTURES WERE MATCHED, AND BOTH INDICATED 80 #/HR. UPON REACHING TIJ CTL, CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED AND IFR FLT PLAN OBTAINED THROUGH TIJ APCH CTL. SHORTLY AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO SAN APCH, THE READ ENG ABRUPTLY STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO CROSS FUEL AND HIT THE BOOST PUMP, AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE REAR ENG UNSUCCESSFULLY. I THEN FEATHERED THE ENG AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH SAN APCH, AS AT THIS PINT I HAD ONLY A FRONT ENG AND NO GYROS. SAN APCH PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME NO GYRO VECTORS AND A DSCNT TO 4000'. UPON REACHING 4000', I OBSERVED A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS TO VFR CONDITIONS AND IMMEDIATELY WENT FOR IT. SAN APCH INFORMED ME I WAS BELOW THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT AND REQUESTED A CLB TO 4000'. I INFORMED THEM THAT I VFR AND ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE NEAREST ARPT. THEY INFORMED ME FIELD WAS 2 MI AND 12 O'CLOCK AND HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR. I MADE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND WAS HIGH AND FAST OVER THE THRESHOLD, WHICH RESULTED IN BLOWING THE NOSE TIRE. LNDG RESULTED IN ONLY THE BLOWN NOSE TIRE AND SLIGHTLY DAMAGED PROP TIPS AND NO OTHER INJURIES OR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. IN REVIEWING THE ACTIONS TAKEN, THE DECISIONS MADE WERE PROPER WITH THE ONLY CHANGE THAT I WOULD MAKE BEING ENTERING THE PATTERN AND STABILIZING AND NOT DOING A STRAIGHT-IN APCH, IN HINDSIGHT. HOWEVER, CONFLICTING WITH THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT THERE WAS FUEL CONTAMINATION AND THAT A FRONT ENG FAILURE MIGHT BE IMMINENT AS BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE FUELED FROM THE SAME TANK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT NO FUEL CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND AND IN FACT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AS SHOWN ON THE TANK QUANTITY GAUGE. HE STATES THAT HE BELIEVES MORE AGGRESSIVE EFFORTS MIGHT HAVE RESTARTED THE REAR ENGINE USING FUEL XFEED AND THUS PROVIDED A VACUUM SYSTEM AND FLT INSTRUMENTS.

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.