Narrative:

On nov/tue/91, I was en route from msp-fsd-rap with 3 passenger aboard an small aircraft twin. Approximately 34 DME east of rapid city, sd, (several mi due east of wall, sd) I experienced loss of power in the right engine. I immediately advanced mixtures, propellers and throttles to the full forward position, switched to auxiliary tanks and turned on the boost pumps. I switched back and forth between main and auxiliary tank on right engine -- no luck. Since I was at 6000 MSL and under IFR flight plan, I had time to assess the situation. After several unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine I shut off fuel and feathered the engine to reduce drag. I then informed denver center that I had lost the engine. Denver said they had to hand me off to ellsworth air force base approach and asked if I wanted to declare an emergency. I stated 'not at this time' and switched over to ellsworth air force base approach. Ellsworth approach stated that the wall, sd, airport was approximately 6 mi away and asked if I wanted to land there. I asked if wall had an IFR approach and was told it did not. Because visibility was less than half in blowing snow and because I was unfamiliar with the area I elected to continue to rap, which I was told was 34 mi away. In trying to restart the engine I had lost 600 ft, which I was unable to regain. I reviewed the AC manual to insure that I had used proper restart and shutdown procedures. I was satisfied with my actions and had just put the book away when the left engine began to quit. I again fully advanced mixtures, propellers and throttles, turned on boost pumps and switched tanks. This did not keep the engine running so I told ellsworth I was declaring an emergency and was going down. Ellsworth gave me a vector towards wall, sd, but I advised him that I was unable to make the field and said I would attempt a landing on a road I could see. I was unable to make my first choice of roads. After clearing power lines around the second choice road, I selected gear down, the gear did not even begin to come down. There was no altitude or time to pump the gear down so I concentrated on landing safely. I touched down under control at approximately 80 KTS. The road had approximately 4 inches of snow and compacted ice on it so I slid for approximately 1 mi. I was able to stay on the road using rudder inputs, but I was unable to avoid striking a drainage ditch pole with the right wing. After stopping I evacuate/evacuationed the passenger and advised ellsworth that we were safe and that there were no injuries to anyone. Afterward the GADO inspector determined that there were 2 relatively full gas tanks aboard and that the gear circuit breaker had blown. I feel the right engine quit due to induction icing since switching to the full tank had no effect. The left engine likely failed due to fuel starvation, but due to my being only about 2000 AGL I simply did not have time to keep the left engine running or to restart it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the only option available against induction icing on this aircraft is alternate air. This opens air intake directly into engine. Reporter surprised by induction icing because no structural icing at all. Has received a letter from FAA, no action will be taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TWIN IN IMC LOSES R ENG. UNABLE RESTART, FEATHERS. THEN LOSES L ENG. EMER LNDG ON ROAD.

Narrative: ON NOV/TUE/91, I WAS ENRTE FROM MSP-FSD-RAP WITH 3 PAX ABOARD AN SMA TWIN. APPROX 34 DME E OF RAPID CITY, SD, (SEVERAL MI DUE E OF WALL, SD) I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF PWR IN THE R ENG. I IMMEDIATELY ADVANCED MIXTURES, PROPS AND THROTTLES TO THE FULL FORWARD POS, SWITCHED TO AUX TANKS AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMPS. I SWITCHED BACK AND FORTH BTWN MAIN AND AUX TANK ON R ENG -- NO LUCK. SINCE I WAS AT 6000 MSL AND UNDER IFR FLT PLAN, I HAD TIME TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG I SHUT OFF FUEL AND FEATHERED THE ENG TO REDUCE DRAG. I THEN INFORMED DENVER CENTER THAT I HAD LOST THE ENG. DENVER SAID THEY HAD TO HAND ME OFF TO ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE APCH AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I STATED 'NOT AT THIS TIME' AND SWITCHED OVER TO ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE APCH. ELLSWORTH APCH STATED THAT THE WALL, SD, ARPT WAS APPROX 6 MI AWAY AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO LAND THERE. I ASKED IF WALL HAD AN IFR APCH AND WAS TOLD IT DID NOT. BECAUSE VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN HALF IN BLOWING SNOW AND BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO RAP, WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS 34 MI AWAY. IN TRYING TO RESTART THE ENG I HAD LOST 600 FT, WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN. I REVIEWED THE AC MANUAL TO INSURE THAT I HAD USED PROPER RESTART AND SHUTDOWN PROCS. I WAS SATISFIED WITH MY ACTIONS AND HAD JUST PUT THE BOOK AWAY WHEN THE L ENG BEGAN TO QUIT. I AGAIN FULLY ADVANCED MIXTURES, PROPS AND THROTTLES, TURNED ON BOOST PUMPS AND SWITCHED TANKS. THIS DID NOT KEEP THE ENG RUNNING SO I TOLD ELLSWORTH I WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND WAS GOING DOWN. ELLSWORTH GAVE ME A VECTOR TOWARDS WALL, SD, BUT I ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD AND SAID I WOULD ATTEMPT A LNDG ON A ROAD I COULD SEE. I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE MY FIRST CHOICE OF ROADS. AFTER CLRING PWR LINES AROUND THE SECOND CHOICE ROAD, I SELECTED GEAR DOWN, THE GEAR DID NOT EVEN BEGIN TO COME DOWN. THERE WAS NO ALT OR TIME TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN SO I CONCENTRATED ON LNDG SAFELY. I TOUCHED DOWN UNDER CTL AT APPROX 80 KTS. THE ROAD HAD APPROX 4 INCHES OF SNOW AND COMPACTED ICE ON IT SO I SLID FOR APPROX 1 MI. I WAS ABLE TO STAY ON THE ROAD USING RUDDER INPUTS, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO AVOID STRIKING A DRAINAGE DITCH POLE WITH THE R WING. AFTER STOPPING I EVACED THE PAX AND ADVISED ELLSWORTH THAT WE WERE SAFE AND THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANYONE. AFTERWARD THE GADO INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE 2 RELATIVELY FULL GAS TANKS ABOARD AND THAT THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BLOWN. I FEEL THE R ENG QUIT DUE TO INDUCTION ICING SINCE SWITCHING TO THE FULL TANK HAD NO EFFECT. THE L ENG LIKELY FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, BUT DUE TO MY BEING ONLY ABOUT 2000 AGL I SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO KEEP THE L ENG RUNNING OR TO RESTART IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE AGAINST INDUCTION ICING ON THIS ACFT IS ALTERNATE AIR. THIS OPENS AIR INTAKE DIRECTLY INTO ENG. RPTR SURPRISED BY INDUCTION ICING BECAUSE NO STRUCTURAL ICING AT ALL. HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FAA, NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.

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.