Narrative:

Today was my day to determine if I could handle an engine out emergency for real. Everything worked out ok, as I write this from my den. This yr, with my multi rating newly earned only last month, I had made arrangements to rent the small transport in which I had done my training for the trip. In and out of clouds, with light to moderate chop, we settled in to cruise. Fuel tanks switched to the auxs, mixtures leaned, and the first frequency change to ny departure on 120.4. Now this small transport has single probe egt's, with digital readouts, and the right probe has been messed up since I started flying it in oct. Frequently, the temperature on the right side would go through the roof, the overtemp light would go on, with full rich mixture and no other symptoms of distress, whatsoever. So the drill is to lean things up on the left, as per usual, then match the fuel psi on the right side, figuring that what's good for 1 engine is good for the other. Because of the usual overtemp warning on #2, I paid it no mind when it came on after leaning. Then, a few mins later, I looked over and noted that both egt's were sitting nice and pretty around 1350 degrees and felt somewhat relieved that the lousy probe was behaving itself and giving me some valid information for a change. Or so I thought. A few mins later, about 10 north of jfk, tracking inbound on the 010 degree radial, I felt this little pull and realized that I was holding more and more left rudder with the ball about half out of its normally centered position. I retarded the right power lever, no change at all. By this time, I announced to the crew and passenger, 'looks like we lost one, kids,' still somewhat disbelieving that this had occurred. I declared to ATC that this was an emergency, engine out, and I was going to land at jfk, which was in sight, with no cloud between us and it. I also told them that I'd be back with them later after I sorted stuff out in the cockpit. (I switched tanks, no change, noted fuel flow on '0,' hit high boost, got a little blip, then back to '0'.) with things getting no better, I did the feather thing and the shutdown checklist (thank heavens for the printed word when the mind turns to mush), with the aircraft holding altitude nicely as you might expect at 150 KIAS in the cool air. I then told approach that I was ready to chat again, and got the offer of the mother of all slam dunks, present position cleared to land on runway 31L. I declined, telling the controller that I wanted a long final and the localizer frequency to help do the line up and keep tabs on the GS (which I wanted well below me). He read me the frequency and offered a 14 mi final -- too long, too much time over the atlantic with only one turning, so I negotiated for a 10 mi final and was vectored over the top of the runway 31R arrs 1000 ft below me at 2000 ft (I was in a descent to 3000 ft by then). With the sna accident fresh in my mind, I also asked that no traffic precede me to runway 31L with less than 10 mi separation. The controller agreed. The airplane was flying nicely, the rudder pressures were manageable at the higher IAS, but it was time to slow some for vle - 144 KIAS. In retrospect, I should have kept it hot longer, but instead I bleeded off some speed, down to about 120 KIAS, 20 KTS above blue line, just like the engine out ILS I did on the chkride in nov. I was cleared the approach and blew the readback with 'cleared to land.' the cabin was quiet. The kids were not making any noise, and wife was giving all outward appearances that this was just another routine approach, VFR, no big deal, I 'really' appreciated that calmness. Cleared to land by tower, the winds were reported variously as 280-320 degrees at 30 KTS or so, gusting to 40. I'd never landed in stuff like this before yet I welcomed the lower ground speed that the gale would provide. I asked tower as well for no takeoffs on runway 31L before my arrival for fear of wake stuff if I flubbed the aim point and ended up taking a good bit of runway to set it down. Down below 1500 ft I added in some flap (about 10 degrees) and at this point, put down the gear and brought the power up to about 20 inches on the good engine to maintain the slow descent at the same airspeed. Over the runway end (i.e., before the displaced threshold), with landing assured, I did the final checks and concentrated on fighting the gusts as the control authority/authorized degraded with the slower airspeed. Once or twice, I had pretty major left aileron input, not quite full, but enough to get my attention and still there was some drift to the right. The left rudder was definitely working, too. I had visions of a roll to the right, over the top, at low altitude, and told myself, out loud, that this was going to work. Still not at the displaced threshold, I decided to pull the power on the left and land the fool thing then and there, on the arrows. The landing itself was smooth as we rolled out past the crash trucks. Once clear of runway 31L by making a right turn, I tried to turn the aircraft to the left. Between the wind and lack of motive power on the right, the damn thing just wouldn't turn, hardly at all. After a long taxi behind a cop up to hangar 16, I shut down and the lovely FBO people helped us close things up and head to the rental car locations. Golly, that was a bona fide gale that was blowing, too. Probable cause: I'll guess that despite 'aggressive' fuel draining and sampling by me and the FBO's owner at dxr, and rocking and rolling the wings to make sure that any trapped water was gone, that this was a case of ice- induced fuel starvation. I could be wrong, but that's my guess tonight. Thoughts: thank goodness that I was well trained and for that, praise goes to cfii-mei and de. Also, thank goodness that were an engine to fail with my family on board it was a) in a twin, B) nearly overhead jfk, and C) in VMC. Lots of thanks, too, to ATC for handling the whole thing with matter of fact precision and efficiency and to FBO for warm, friendly faces and helping hands with bags and kids. Decided that although the odds of experiencing an engine failure were higher on a twin, we were very, very glad to have the options provided by the turning motor. My daughter, the 4-YR old, fell asleep in the middle of all of this high drama.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FAILURE ON TWIN. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: TODAY WAS MY DAY TO DETERMINE IF I COULD HANDLE AN ENG OUT EMER FOR REAL. EVERYTHING WORKED OUT OK, AS I WRITE THIS FROM MY DEN. THIS YR, WITH MY MULTI RATING NEWLY EARNED ONLY LAST MONTH, I HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO RENT THE SMT IN WHICH I HAD DONE MY TRAINING FOR THE TRIP. IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP, WE SETTLED IN TO CRUISE. FUEL TANKS SWITCHED TO THE AUXS, MIXTURES LEANED, AND THE FIRST FREQ CHANGE TO NY DEP ON 120.4. NOW THIS SMT HAS SINGLE PROBE EGT'S, WITH DIGITAL READOUTS, AND THE R PROBE HAS BEEN MESSED UP SINCE I STARTED FLYING IT IN OCT. FREQUENTLY, THE TEMP ON THE R SIDE WOULD GO THROUGH THE ROOF, THE OVERTEMP LIGHT WOULD GO ON, WITH FULL RICH MIXTURE AND NO OTHER SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS, WHATSOEVER. SO THE DRILL IS TO LEAN THINGS UP ON THE L, AS PER USUAL, THEN MATCH THE FUEL PSI ON THE R SIDE, FIGURING THAT WHAT'S GOOD FOR 1 ENG IS GOOD FOR THE OTHER. BECAUSE OF THE USUAL OVERTEMP WARNING ON #2, I PAID IT NO MIND WHEN IT CAME ON AFTER LEANING. THEN, A FEW MINS LATER, I LOOKED OVER AND NOTED THAT BOTH EGT'S WERE SITTING NICE AND PRETTY AROUND 1350 DEGS AND FELT SOMEWHAT RELIEVED THAT THE LOUSY PROBE WAS BEHAVING ITSELF AND GIVING ME SOME VALID INFO FOR A CHANGE. OR SO I THOUGHT. A FEW MINS LATER, ABOUT 10 N OF JFK, TRACKING INBOUND ON THE 010 DEG RADIAL, I FELT THIS LITTLE PULL AND REALIZED THAT I WAS HOLDING MORE AND MORE L RUDDER WITH THE BALL ABOUT HALF OUT OF ITS NORMALLY CTRED POS. I RETARDED THE R PWR LEVER, NO CHANGE AT ALL. BY THIS TIME, I ANNOUNCED TO THE CREW AND PAX, 'LOOKS LIKE WE LOST ONE, KIDS,' STILL SOMEWHAT DISBELIEVING THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED. I DECLARED TO ATC THAT THIS WAS AN EMER, ENG OUT, AND I WAS GOING TO LAND AT JFK, WHICH WAS IN SIGHT, WITH NO CLOUD BTWN US AND IT. I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT I'D BE BACK WITH THEM LATER AFTER I SORTED STUFF OUT IN THE COCKPIT. (I SWITCHED TANKS, NO CHANGE, NOTED FUEL FLOW ON '0,' HIT HIGH BOOST, GOT A LITTLE BLIP, THEN BACK TO '0'.) WITH THINGS GETTING NO BETTER, I DID THE FEATHER THING AND THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST (THANK HEAVENS FOR THE PRINTED WORD WHEN THE MIND TURNS TO MUSH), WITH THE ACFT HOLDING ALT NICELY AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT AT 150 KIAS IN THE COOL AIR. I THEN TOLD APCH THAT I WAS READY TO CHAT AGAIN, AND GOT THE OFFER OF THE MOTHER OF ALL SLAM DUNKS, PRESENT POS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 31L. I DECLINED, TELLING THE CTLR THAT I WANTED A LONG FINAL AND THE LOC FREQ TO HELP DO THE LINE UP AND KEEP TABS ON THE GS (WHICH I WANTED WELL BELOW ME). HE READ ME THE FREQ AND OFFERED A 14 MI FINAL -- TOO LONG, TOO MUCH TIME OVER THE ATLANTIC WITH ONLY ONE TURNING, SO I NEGOTIATED FOR A 10 MI FINAL AND WAS VECTORED OVER THE TOP OF THE RWY 31R ARRS 1000 FT BELOW ME AT 2000 FT (I WAS IN A DSCNT TO 3000 FT BY THEN). WITH THE SNA ACCIDENT FRESH IN MY MIND, I ALSO ASKED THAT NO TFC PRECEDE ME TO RWY 31L WITH LESS THAN 10 MI SEPARATION. THE CTLR AGREED. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING NICELY, THE RUDDER PRESSURES WERE MANAGEABLE AT THE HIGHER IAS, BUT IT WAS TIME TO SLOW SOME FOR VLE - 144 KIAS. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE KEPT IT HOT LONGER, BUT INSTEAD I BLEEDED OFF SOME SPD, DOWN TO ABOUT 120 KIAS, 20 KTS ABOVE BLUE LINE, JUST LIKE THE ENG OUT ILS I DID ON THE CHKRIDE IN NOV. I WAS CLRED THE APCH AND BLEW THE READBACK WITH 'CLRED TO LAND.' THE CABIN WAS QUIET. THE KIDS WERE NOT MAKING ANY NOISE, AND WIFE WAS GIVING ALL OUTWARD APPEARANCES THAT THIS WAS JUST ANOTHER ROUTINE APCH, VFR, NO BIG DEAL, I 'REALLY' APPRECIATED THAT CALMNESS. CLRED TO LAND BY TWR, THE WINDS WERE RPTED VARIOUSLY AS 280-320 DEGS AT 30 KTS OR SO, GUSTING TO 40. I'D NEVER LANDED IN STUFF LIKE THIS BEFORE YET I WELCOMED THE LOWER GND SPD THAT THE GALE WOULD PROVIDE. I ASKED TWR AS WELL FOR NO TKOFS ON RWY 31L BEFORE MY ARR FOR FEAR OF WAKE STUFF IF I FLUBBED THE AIM POINT AND ENDED UP TAKING A GOOD BIT OF RWY TO SET IT DOWN. DOWN BELOW 1500 FT I ADDED IN SOME FLAP (ABOUT 10 DEGS) AND AT THIS POINT, PUT DOWN THE GEAR AND BROUGHT THE PWR UP TO ABOUT 20 INCHES ON THE GOOD ENG TO MAINTAIN THE SLOW DSCNT AT THE SAME AIRSPD. OVER THE RWY END (I.E., BEFORE THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD), WITH LNDG ASSURED, I DID THE FINAL CHKS AND CONCENTRATED ON FIGHTING THE GUSTS AS THE CTL AUTH DEGRADED WITH THE SLOWER AIRSPD. ONCE OR TWICE, I HAD PRETTY MAJOR L AILERON INPUT, NOT QUITE FULL, BUT ENOUGH TO GET MY ATTN AND STILL THERE WAS SOME DRIFT TO THE R. THE L RUDDER WAS DEFINITELY WORKING, TOO. I HAD VISIONS OF A ROLL TO THE R, OVER THE TOP, AT LOW ALT, AND TOLD MYSELF, OUT LOUD, THAT THIS WAS GOING TO WORK. STILL NOT AT THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, I DECIDED TO PULL THE PWR ON THE L AND LAND THE FOOL THING THEN AND THERE, ON THE ARROWS. THE LNDG ITSELF WAS SMOOTH AS WE ROLLED OUT PAST THE CRASH TRUCKS. ONCE CLR OF RWY 31L BY MAKING A R TURN, I TRIED TO TURN THE ACFT TO THE L. BTWN THE WIND AND LACK OF MOTIVE PWR ON THE R, THE DAMN THING JUST WOULDN'T TURN, HARDLY AT ALL. AFTER A LONG TAXI BEHIND A COP UP TO HANGAR 16, I SHUT DOWN AND THE LOVELY FBO PEOPLE HELPED US CLOSE THINGS UP AND HEAD TO THE RENTAL CAR LOCATIONS. GOLLY, THAT WAS A BONA FIDE GALE THAT WAS BLOWING, TOO. PROBABLE CAUSE: I'LL GUESS THAT DESPITE 'AGGRESSIVE' FUEL DRAINING AND SAMPLING BY ME AND THE FBO'S OWNER AT DXR, AND ROCKING AND ROLLING THE WINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY TRAPPED WATER WAS GONE, THAT THIS WAS A CASE OF ICE- INDUCED FUEL STARVATION. I COULD BE WRONG, BUT THAT'S MY GUESS TONIGHT. THOUGHTS: THANK GOODNESS THAT I WAS WELL TRAINED AND FOR THAT, PRAISE GOES TO CFII-MEI AND DE. ALSO, THANK GOODNESS THAT WERE AN ENG TO FAIL WITH MY FAMILY ON BOARD IT WAS A) IN A TWIN, B) NEARLY OVERHEAD JFK, AND C) IN VMC. LOTS OF THANKS, TOO, TO ATC FOR HANDLING THE WHOLE THING WITH MATTER OF FACT PRECISION AND EFFICIENCY AND TO FBO FOR WARM, FRIENDLY FACES AND HELPING HANDS WITH BAGS AND KIDS. DECIDED THAT ALTHOUGH THE ODDS OF EXPERIENCING AN ENG FAILURE WERE HIGHER ON A TWIN, WE WERE VERY, VERY GLAD TO HAVE THE OPTIONS PROVIDED BY THE TURNING MOTOR. MY DAUGHTER, THE 4-YR OLD, FELL ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THIS HIGH DRAMA.

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.