 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Left engine quit in-flight, restarted. Both engines quit on taxi. Unable to restart. Assistance from ground mechanic restarted engines.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 188812 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mke |
| State Reference | WI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 188812 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Another error by an overconfident airline pilot in an small aircraft twin. Twice I proved my lack of knowledge of the fuel system. In cruise, tiny non pilot passenger noticed the fuel gauges were out of balance. No problem , reach down and xfeed the left engine from the right tank. A funny noise and swerve. The left engine quit. Typical reaction -- go back to original confign, cycle propeller, throttle, mixture and restart. A quick idea was the mixture should have been rich, not leaned. Ok, it's rich, xfeed again. Repeat -- engine quit and restart. When all else fails, read the book. Boost pumps -- aha! Xfeeds fine. Long flight. Tanks just under 1/4 on the stop for customs and fuel. Nice approach and touchdown (finally after being 'airline pilot' fast for previous 6-7 lndgs), on rollout I used aerodynamic braking that the FBO instructor harped on to save tires and brakes. Held the nose up 30 degree until it dropped at 50 KIAS or so. Gently braked and did a 180 turn per tower instruction. Added power to taxi and the right engine quit, immediately followed by the left, oh god! Had I totally mismanaged the fuel and narrowly avoided an airborne flame out? (I had shot the approach with boost pumps on due to low fuel.) my restarts were unsuccessful. Field manager brought out a mechanic, he cleared the flooded engines and started them. We taxied to customs. Aerodynamic braking at idle starved the engines (fuel injected). Lesson learned. It was a red faced airline pilot (with logo on golf shirt) that gassed up at FBO and departed for home plate!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: L ENG QUIT INFLT, RESTARTED. BOTH ENGS QUIT ON TAXI. UNABLE TO RESTART. ASSISTANCE FROM GND MECH RESTARTED ENGS.
Narrative: ANOTHER ERROR BY AN OVERCONFIDENT AIRLINE PLT IN AN SMA TWIN. TWICE I PROVED MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUEL SYS. IN CRUISE, TINY NON PLT PAX NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE OUT OF BAL. NO PROBLEM , REACH DOWN AND XFEED THE L ENG FROM THE R TANK. A FUNNY NOISE AND SWERVE. THE L ENG QUIT. TYPICAL REACTION -- GO BACK TO ORIGINAL CONFIGN, CYCLE PROP, THROTTLE, MIXTURE AND RESTART. A QUICK IDEA WAS THE MIXTURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RICH, NOT LEANED. OK, IT'S RICH, XFEED AGAIN. REPEAT -- ENG QUIT AND RESTART. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, READ THE BOOK. BOOST PUMPS -- AHA! XFEEDS FINE. LONG FLT. TANKS JUST UNDER 1/4 ON THE STOP FOR CUSTOMS AND FUEL. NICE APCH AND TOUCHDOWN (FINALLY AFTER BEING 'AIRLINE PLT' FAST FOR PREVIOUS 6-7 LNDGS), ON ROLLOUT I USED AERODYNAMIC BRAKING THAT THE FBO INSTRUCTOR HARPED ON TO SAVE TIRES AND BRAKES. HELD THE NOSE UP 30 DEG UNTIL IT DROPPED AT 50 KIAS OR SO. GENTLY BRAKED AND DID A 180 TURN PER TWR INSTRUCTION. ADDED PWR TO TAXI AND THE R ENG QUIT, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE L, OH GOD! HAD I TOTALLY MISMANAGED THE FUEL AND NARROWLY AVOIDED AN AIRBORNE FLAME OUT? (I HAD SHOT THE APCH WITH BOOST PUMPS ON DUE TO LOW FUEL.) MY RESTARTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. FIELD MGR BROUGHT OUT A MECH, HE CLRED THE FLOODED ENGS AND STARTED THEM. WE TAXIED TO CUSTOMS. AERODYNAMIC BRAKING AT IDLE STARVED THE ENGS (FUEL INJECTED). LESSON LEARNED. IT WAS A RED FACED AIRLINE PLT (WITH LOGO ON GOLF SHIRT) THAT GASSED UP AT FBO AND DEPARTED FOR HOME PLATE!
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.