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Small transport has runaway propeller and fire requiring engine shutdown. Emergency landing, gear up.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 289686 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199411 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : poc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1011 msl bound upper : 1011 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : poc |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 89 flight time total : 735 flight time type : 23 |
| ASRS Report | 289686 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| 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 none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During a gradual cruise descent for landing the propeller on the left engine went into a propeller overspd (runaway propeller). I tried to bring it under control by cycling the propeller control lever and slowing the airplane down. Those actions did not correct the situation so I began to declare an emergency and explained my situation to ATC. While I was declaring the emergency and still trying to correct the runaway propeller overspd the left engine (same engine) caught on fire and I noticed oil pressure had been lost. I immediately shut off the mixture and fuel valve for the left engine, feathered, and completely secured the left engine. The fire stopped while I was securing that engine. I continued to fly on 1 engine and further explained the situation to ATC and asked for further assistance. ATC was unable to give me radar vectors to brackett airport due to negative radar contact. I am familiar with the area so I was able to continue flying single engine towards brackett airport for my emergency landing. When the in-flight emergency occurred I was approximately 27 mi west of brackett airport at about 5500 ft MSL. ATC notified brackett tower of my emergency. ATC and brackett tower cleared the area and had an emergency vehicle standing by. I continued to fly single engine towards brackett airport. I contacted brackett tower when I had the field in sight. Brackett tower cleared me to land on any runway. I opted to land to runway 26L (the larger runway with full approach lights). I entered a right downwind and made right traffic. I informed brackett tower of my intentions and proceeded with my approach to landing. I waited to extend the gear until I was sure I would make the runway. I put the gear lever down on about a 1 1/2 mi final and thought I saw 3 dim green lights, indicating that the gear was down. The tower then told me to verify gear down, I verified the gear lever and again thought I saw 3 dim green lights. I then continued on my final approach. I think the tower made another call stating that the landing gear appeared to be up. At that point I was on short final low, slow and close to the ground flying single engine, I was committed to this landing. I made the decision to land with or without gear down for I did not have time to manually extend the gear, nor did I want to divert my attention being this low and that close to the runway at night. I definitely would not want to make a go around single engine at night in the direction of hills and rising terrain, that could very possibly have been catastrophic. I landed gear up because the gear system failed to extend due to the left engine being inoperative. I kept the airplane on centerline and put it down as slow as possible because I did not know if the gear was down. The airplane skidded on the runway, I maintained it on the runway and it came to a complete stop. I then secured the aircraft very quickly and exited immediately. I walked away from it unharmed and the aircraft obtained the normal gear up damage that is expected, it was not substantial damage.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMT HAS RUNAWAY PROP AND FIRE REQUIRING ENG SHUTDOWN. EMER LNDG, GEAR UP.
Narrative: DURING A GRADUAL CRUISE DSCNT FOR LNDG THE PROP ON THE L ENG WENT INTO A PROP OVERSPD (RUNAWAY PROP). I TRIED TO BRING IT UNDER CTL BY CYCLING THE PROP CTL LEVER AND SLOWING THE AIRPLANE DOWN. THOSE ACTIONS DID NOT CORRECT THE SIT SO I BEGAN TO DECLARE AN EMER AND EXPLAINED MY SIT TO ATC. WHILE I WAS DECLARING THE EMER AND STILL TRYING TO CORRECT THE RUNAWAY PROP OVERSPD THE L ENG (SAME ENG) CAUGHT ON FIRE AND I NOTICED OIL PRESSURE HAD BEEN LOST. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE MIXTURE AND FUEL VALVE FOR THE L ENG, FEATHERED, AND COMPLETELY SECURED THE L ENG. THE FIRE STOPPED WHILE I WAS SECURING THAT ENG. I CONTINUED TO FLY ON 1 ENG AND FURTHER EXPLAINED THE SIT TO ATC AND ASKED FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. ATC WAS UNABLE TO GIVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO BRACKETT ARPT DUE TO NEGATIVE RADAR CONTACT. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA SO I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE FLYING SINGLE ENG TOWARDS BRACKETT ARPT FOR MY EMER LNDG. WHEN THE INFLT EMER OCCURRED I WAS APPROX 27 MI W OF BRACKETT ARPT AT ABOUT 5500 FT MSL. ATC NOTIFIED BRACKETT TWR OF MY EMER. ATC AND BRACKETT TWR CLRED THE AREA AND HAD AN EMER VEHICLE STANDING BY. I CONTINUED TO FLY SINGLE ENG TOWARDS BRACKETT ARPT. I CONTACTED BRACKETT TWR WHEN I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. BRACKETT TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON ANY RWY. I OPTED TO LAND TO RWY 26L (THE LARGER RWY WITH FULL APCH LIGHTS). I ENTERED A R DOWNWIND AND MADE R TFC. I INFORMED BRACKETT TWR OF MY INTENTIONS AND PROCEEDED WITH MY APCH TO LNDG. I WAITED TO EXTEND THE GEAR UNTIL I WAS SURE I WOULD MAKE THE RWY. I PUT THE GEAR LEVER DOWN ON ABOUT A 1 1/2 MI FINAL AND THOUGHT I SAW 3 DIM GREEN LIGHTS, INDICATING THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE TWR THEN TOLD ME TO VERIFY GEAR DOWN, I VERIFIED THE GEAR LEVER AND AGAIN THOUGHT I SAW 3 DIM GREEN LIGHTS. I THEN CONTINUED ON MY FINAL APCH. I THINK THE TWR MADE ANOTHER CALL STATING THAT THE LNDG GEAR APPEARED TO BE UP. AT THAT POINT I WAS ON SHORT FINAL LOW, SLOW AND CLOSE TO THE GND FLYING SINGLE ENG, I WAS COMMITTED TO THIS LNDG. I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND WITH OR WITHOUT GEAR DOWN FOR I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE GEAR, NOR DID I WANT TO DIVERT MY ATTN BEING THIS LOW AND THAT CLOSE TO THE RWY AT NIGHT. I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT WANT TO MAKE A GAR SINGLE ENG AT NIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF HILLS AND RISING TERRAIN, THAT COULD VERY POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I LANDED GEAR UP BECAUSE THE GEAR SYS FAILED TO EXTEND DUE TO THE L ENG BEING INOP. I KEPT THE AIRPLANE ON CTRLINE AND PUT IT DOWN AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED ON THE RWY, I MAINTAINED IT ON THE RWY AND IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I THEN SECURED THE ACFT VERY QUICKLY AND EXITED IMMEDIATELY. I WALKED AWAY FROM IT UNHARMED AND THE ACFT OBTAINED THE NORMAL GEAR UP DAMAGE THAT IS EXPECTED, IT WAS NOT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
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.