Narrative:

Departed controled airport as captain in passenger carrying commuter operation at XA07 local time, first officer was flying. At approximately 7NM southeast or the airport and about 4000 ft MSL the right engine abruptly seized and the propeller feathered by the autofeather system. We notified the tower and company that we were returning to the airport. Tower asked the reason for our return. After informing him of our right engine failure he asked for our distance out, number of souls, fuel on board then cleared us to land. We performed the engine secure checklist and I notified the passenger that we had a problem with the right engine, that we were returning to the airport. I instructed them to fasten seat belts and to secure seatbacks and tray tables for landing. We landed without incident and taxied off the runway to the ramp under our own power. No emergency was declared nor was priority asked for. The first officer flew the aircraft throughout. An interesting side note relates to our training procedure of verifying the failed engine by noting N1, and fuel flow. In our case the engine seizure was related to the propeller gearbox. Because of the free turbine design of the PT6, the compressor section continued to function and give normal N1, and fuel flow indications while the power/propeller section had frozen. In this case the propeller RPM and torque indications were zero which would not necessarily have been the case in a 'normal' engine failure. Another observation was how unusual it felt to be the non-flying pilot during an engine failure, since in training these things are practiced from the standpoint of the PF.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FAILURE-INFLT.

Narrative: DEPARTED CTLED ARPT AS CAPT IN PAX CARRYING COMMUTER OP AT XA07 LCL TIME, FO WAS FLYING. AT APPROX 7NM SE OR THE ARPT AND ABOUT 4000 FT MSL THE R ENG ABRUPTLY SEIZED AND THE PROP FEATHERED BY THE AUTOFEATHER SYS. WE NOTIFIED THE TWR AND COMPANY THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE ARPT. TWR ASKED THE REASON FOR OUR RETURN. AFTER INFORMING HIM OF OUR R ENG FAILURE HE ASKED FOR OUR DISTANCE OUT, NUMBER OF SOULS, FUEL ON BOARD THEN CLRED US TO LAND. WE PERFORMED THE ENG SECURE CHKLIST AND I NOTIFIED THE PAX THAT WE HAD A PROB WITH THE R ENG, THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE ARPT. I INSTRUCTED THEM TO FASTEN SEAT BELTS AND TO SECURE SEATBACKS AND TRAY TABLES FOR LNDG. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY TO THE RAMP UNDER OUR OWN PWR. NO EMER WAS DECLARED NOR WAS PRIORITY ASKED FOR. THE FO FLEW THE ACFT THROUGHOUT. AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE RELATES TO OUR TRAINING PROC OF VERIFYING THE FAILED ENG BY NOTING N1, AND FUEL FLOW. IN OUR CASE THE ENG SEIZURE WAS RELATED TO THE PROP GEARBOX. BECAUSE OF THE FREE TURBINE DESIGN OF THE PT6, THE COMPRESSOR SECTION CONTINUED TO FUNCTION AND GIVE NORMAL N1, AND FUEL FLOW INDICATIONS WHILE THE PWR/PROP SECTION HAD FROZEN. IN THIS CASE THE PROP RPM AND TORQUE INDICATIONS WERE ZERO WHICH WOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN THE CASE IN A 'NORMAL' ENG FAILURE. ANOTHER OBSERVATION WAS HOW UNUSUAL IT FELT TO BE THE NON-FLYING PLT DURING AN ENG FAILURE, SINCE IN TRAINING THESE THINGS ARE PRACTICED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE PF.

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.