Flight crew of small transport declared an emergency and returned to land after one propeller autofe...

Attributes
ACN	282564
Time
Date	199409
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cho
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cho
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12080 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	282564
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departing runway 3 all indications normal. After flap retraction #1 engine flamed out autofeathered, and uptrimmed. Completed proper checklists notified ATC (declared an emergency). Landed without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the aircraft type was a DH-8. The engine had not flamed out as reported. It was learned that the engine was still running after the propeller autofeathered due to low engine torque. However, the emergency action taken by the reporter is the same as that action taken for the flame out. It was further learned that the torque sensing unit was faulty, and that was the reason for the autofeather. Autofeather is only used for takeoffs and the fuel flow and torque indicators will show whether the engine is still running. He further stated that he had to take evasive action during shutting down the engine to avoid mountainous terrain. He also believes that the electronic propeller unit has characteristics of going in unwarranted flat pitch position causing high engine torque, no thrust and flat pitch parasite drag. Reporter states that he followed the approved checklist and the aircraft reacted and flew as he learned in the simulator. He passed on this experience to others and it will be incorporated into the training simulator course.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF SMT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER ONE PROP AUTOFEATHERED AND THE ENG SHUTDOWN DURING INITIAL CLBOUT AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: DEPARTING RWY 3 ALL INDICATIONS NORMAL. AFTER FLAP RETRACTION #1 ENG FLAMED OUT AUTOFEATHERED, AND UPTRIMMED. COMPLETED PROPER CHKLISTS NOTIFIED ATC (DECLARED AN EMER). LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT TYPE WAS A DH-8. THE ENG HAD NOT FLAMED OUT AS RPTED. IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER THE PROP AUTOFEATHERED DUE TO LOW ENG TORQUE. HOWEVER, THE EMER ACTION TAKEN BY THE RPTR IS THE SAME AS THAT ACTION TAKEN FOR THE FLAME OUT. IT WAS FURTHER LEARNED THAT THE TORQUE SENSING UNIT WAS FAULTY, AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE AUTOFEATHER. AUTOFEATHER IS ONLY USED FOR TKOFS AND THE FUEL FLOW AND TORQUE INDICATORS WILL SHOW WHETHER THE ENG IS STILL RUNNING. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION DURING SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG TO AVOID MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT THE ELECTRONIC PROP UNIT HAS CHARACTERISTICS OF GOING IN UNWARRANTED FLAT PITCH POS CAUSING HIGH ENG TORQUE, NO THRUST AND FLAT PITCH PARASITE DRAG. RPTR STATES THAT HE FOLLOWED THE APPROVED CHKLIST AND THE ACFT REACTED AND FLEW AS HE LEARNED IN THE SIMULATOR. HE PASSED ON THIS EXPERIENCE TO OTHERS AND IT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE TRAINING SIMULATOR COURSE.

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.

Flight crew of small transport declared an emergency and returned to land after one propeller autofeathered and the engine shutdown during initial climb out after takeoff.