37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 304626 |
Time | |
Date | 199505 |
Day | Fri |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : swl airport : wal |
State Reference | MD |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : nhk tower : wal |
Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute airway : nhk |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air taxi |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 600 |
ASRS Report | 304626 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Qualification | controller : non radar |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
Consequence | Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
The trip was a charter flight from phl to tgi with 3 passenger. With about 20 mins remaining of the flight, I asked nhk approach for a descent from 6000 ft to 4000 ft. This descent put me in VFR conditions, and I decided to cancel my IFR flight plan. This way I could RNAV directly to my destination. As I leveled off at 4000 ft, I noticed the left engine going rough. I moved the mixture lever forward, and this immediately solved the roughness. However, I found it strange that the engine needed full rich mixture and I noticed that the fuel pressure fluctuated around 10 gph, which is very low with mixture full rich. Seconds later, fuel pressure dropped to '0,' and the left engine instantly stopped. I immediately switched auxiliary fuel pump and xfeed on, but with no improvement. I then tried to move the throttle lever forward, but nothing happened. During the course of this action, I had already lost 1000 ft and airspeed was down from 150-110 KIAS. I notified nhk approach and declared an emergency. I then feathered and secured the left engine. As soon as this was done, the airplane leveled at 3000 ft. I notified my passenger of the problem, and asked nhx approach for the nearest suitable airport to land. They gave me vectors to wallops island, va. Because of VFR conditions I had no problems visualizing the field and was handed over to wallops island tower, which directed me to land on runway 28. The landing itself was uneventful. After landing, my passenger were transported to their destination by another charter operator, and my plane was inspected by a local mechanic. It proved to be a broken fuel line. In aftermath, I realize that I did not squawk emergency code 7700, nor did I specify to cancel my IFR flight plan. I felt, however, that these matters were taken care of by nhx approach control, with whom I stayed in contact during the incident. Therefore, I do not consider this a deviation as described in far paragraph 135.19B. Subsequently, I did not notify the FAA but left this up to the director of operations of my company.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 1 OF THE 2 ENGS FAILED. THE RPTR DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.
Narrative: THE TRIP WAS A CHARTER FLT FROM PHL TO TGI WITH 3 PAX. WITH ABOUT 20 MINS REMAINING OF THE FLT, I ASKED NHK APCH FOR A DSCNT FROM 6000 FT TO 4000 FT. THIS DSCNT PUT ME IN VFR CONDITIONS, AND I DECIDED TO CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN. THIS WAY I COULD RNAV DIRECTLY TO MY DEST. AS I LEVELED OFF AT 4000 FT, I NOTICED THE L ENG GOING ROUGH. I MOVED THE MIXTURE LEVER FORWARD, AND THIS IMMEDIATELY SOLVED THE ROUGHNESS. HOWEVER, I FOUND IT STRANGE THAT THE ENG NEEDED FULL RICH MIXTURE AND I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE FLUCTUATED AROUND 10 GPH, WHICH IS VERY LOW WITH MIXTURE FULL RICH. SECONDS LATER, FUEL PRESSURE DROPPED TO '0,' AND THE L ENG INSTANTLY STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED AUX FUEL PUMP AND XFEED ON, BUT WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. I THEN TRIED TO MOVE THE THROTTLE LEVER FORWARD, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS ACTION, I HAD ALREADY LOST 1000 FT AND AIRSPD WAS DOWN FROM 150-110 KIAS. I NOTIFIED NHK APCH AND DECLARED AN EMER. I THEN FEATHERED AND SECURED THE L ENG. AS SOON AS THIS WAS DONE, THE AIRPLANE LEVELED AT 3000 FT. I NOTIFIED MY PAX OF THE PROB, AND ASKED NHX APCH FOR THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT TO LAND. THEY GAVE ME VECTORS TO WALLOPS ISLAND, VA. BECAUSE OF VFR CONDITIONS I HAD NO PROBS VISUALIZING THE FIELD AND WAS HANDED OVER TO WALLOPS ISLAND TWR, WHICH DIRECTED ME TO LAND ON RWY 28. THE LNDG ITSELF WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG, MY PAX WERE TRANSPORTED TO THEIR DEST BY ANOTHER CHARTER OPERATOR, AND MY PLANE WAS INSPECTED BY A LCL MECH. IT PROVED TO BE A BROKEN FUEL LINE. IN AFTERMATH, I REALIZE THAT I DID NOT SQUAWK EMER CODE 7700, NOR DID I SPECIFY TO CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN. I FELT, HOWEVER, THAT THESE MATTERS WERE TAKEN CARE OF BY NHX APCH CTL, WITH WHOM I STAYED IN CONTACT DURING THE INCIDENT. THEREFORE, I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS A DEV AS DESCRIBED IN FAR PARAGRAPH 135.19B. SUBSEQUENTLY, I DID NOT NOTIFY THE FAA BUT LEFT THIS UP TO THE DIRECTOR OF OPS OF MY COMPANY.
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.