Narrative:

After a normal taxi and runup, I was cleared for takeoff on the active runway 17. The takeoff roll was normal with no indication of a malfunction, the small transport was tracking in a straight line down the runway with all gauges indicating normal. After rotation the aircraft climbed to approximately 20 ft, at which time it yawed hard to the right, moving to the right side of the runway, overflying a freshly mown grass section about 100 ft wide. I was using full left rudder and left aileron to keep the aircraft straight and level. My son, sitting in the right front seat called out 'we've lost an engine!' I tried to move back to the runway, however I could not steer the craft. With the close proximity to the ground and deteriorating airspeed I made the decision to cut power on both engines and land parallel to the runway, on the mown grass. We had more than enough room to land safely and the ground looked smooth. The touchdown was normal with a slight bounce. The aircraft rolled parallel to the runway for about 300 ft until the right main gear entered an area of soft, muddy soil. The load on the right main gear caused the gear to fail and the aircraft dropped on the right wing, continuing to slide down the grass and making a slow turn to the right coming to rest at the edge of the grass and pushing up against low brush. The next day my son and I discussed the chain of events during the takeoff and loss of the right engine. Shortly after rotation, my son noticed an audible change in the right engine, and a fluctuation of the fuel pressure gauge on the right engine, with the indicator dropping almost to zero pressure and moving erratically, never showing a pressure equal to the left engine. I have contacted an aircraft mechanic and was told that I probably lost the engine driven fuel pump resulting in fuel starvation and total loss of power. I believe that the fuel system on the small transport falls short of safe. The fuel cells are below the level of the engines and only the engine driven fuel pump can be used to deliver fuel pressure to the fuel injection system on takeoff. The failure at the low airspeed and close proximity to the ground left no time to analyze the problem and take corrective action. A backup electric pump is part of the fuel system, however it cannot be used during takeoff for it over pressurizes the system and can cause engine failure or an engine fire. The fuel system should be redesigned to allow for the use of the electric and the engine driven fuel pumps during takeoff and should remain on until a safe altitude is attained. At this time the electric fuel pump could be turned off and used as a backup system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT HAS ENG FAILURE ON LIFTOFF, VEERS TO R. LANDS ON GRASS PARALLEL TO RWY.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL TAXI AND RUNUP, I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON THE ACTIVE RWY 17. THE TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL WITH NO INDICATION OF A MALFUNCTION, THE SMT WAS TRACKING IN A STRAIGHT LINE DOWN THE RWY WITH ALL GAUGES INDICATING NORMAL. AFTER ROTATION THE ACFT CLBED TO APPROX 20 FT, AT WHICH TIME IT YAWED HARD TO THE R, MOVING TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY, OVERFLYING A FRESHLY MOWN GRASS SECTION ABOUT 100 FT WIDE. I WAS USING FULL L RUDDER AND L AILERON TO KEEP THE ACFT STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. MY SON, SITTING IN THE R FRONT SEAT CALLED OUT 'WE'VE LOST AN ENG!' I TRIED TO MOVE BACK TO THE RWY, HOWEVER I COULD NOT STEER THE CRAFT. WITH THE CLOSE PROX TO THE GND AND DETERIORATING AIRSPD I MADE THE DECISION TO CUT PWR ON BOTH ENGS AND LAND PARALLEL TO THE RWY, ON THE MOWN GRASS. WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM TO LAND SAFELY AND THE GND LOOKED SMOOTH. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL WITH A SLIGHT BOUNCE. THE ACFT ROLLED PARALLEL TO THE RWY FOR ABOUT 300 FT UNTIL THE R MAIN GEAR ENTERED AN AREA OF SOFT, MUDDY SOIL. THE LOAD ON THE R MAIN GEAR CAUSED THE GEAR TO FAIL AND THE ACFT DROPPED ON THE R WING, CONTINUING TO SLIDE DOWN THE GRASS AND MAKING A SLOW TURN TO THE R COMING TO REST AT THE EDGE OF THE GRASS AND PUSHING UP AGAINST LOW BRUSH. THE NEXT DAY MY SON AND I DISCUSSED THE CHAIN OF EVENTS DURING THE TKOF AND LOSS OF THE R ENG. SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION, MY SON NOTICED AN AUDIBLE CHANGE IN THE R ENG, AND A FLUCTUATION OF THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE ON THE R ENG, WITH THE INDICATOR DROPPING ALMOST TO ZERO PRESSURE AND MOVING ERRATICALLY, NEVER SHOWING A PRESSURE EQUAL TO THE L ENG. I HAVE CONTACTED AN ACFT MECH AND WAS TOLD THAT I PROBABLY LOST THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP RESULTING IN FUEL STARVATION AND TOTAL LOSS OF PWR. I BELIEVE THAT THE FUEL SYS ON THE SMT FALLS SHORT OF SAFE. THE FUEL CELLS ARE BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE ENGS AND ONLY THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP CAN BE USED TO DELIVER FUEL PRESSURE TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYS ON TKOF. THE FAILURE AT THE LOW AIRSPD AND CLOSE PROX TO THE GND LEFT NO TIME TO ANALYZE THE PROBLEM AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. A BACKUP ELECTRIC PUMP IS PART OF THE FUEL SYS, HOWEVER IT CANNOT BE USED DURING TKOF FOR IT OVER PRESSURIZES THE SYS AND CAN CAUSE ENG FAILURE OR AN ENG FIRE. THE FUEL SYS SHOULD BE REDESIGNED TO ALLOW FOR THE USE OF THE ELECTRIC AND THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS DURING TKOF AND SHOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL A SAFE ALT IS ATTAINED. AT THIS TIME THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP COULD BE TURNED OFF AND USED AS A BACKUP SYS.

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.