Narrative:

We had just leveled at 4000 ft after departing phf. There was a loud 'wump.' the aircraft yawed to the right. The caution panel began to illuminate with caution lights associated with an engine failure. I noticed the torque gauge on the #2 engine was at 0.0. I confirmed engine failure with my first officer. We performed the prescribed engine failure procedures and checklists and returned to phf without further incident. I have some concern in the manner by which we confirmed engine failure. In 16 yrs with this company, this is the first failure other than practiced in a simulator or simulated with aircraft. The company feels that possibly the engine did not fail but merely went to baseline fuel because of an ecu failure. They felt there should have been more investigative work done. From my observation it appeared the engine had completely failed because of caution lights and 0.0 torque indications. I did not notice first stage compressor RPM or fuel flow gauges. The flight data recorder is being pulled to see if in fact the engine did flame out or was at idle. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter captain verified aircraft type as DHC8. The aircraft had been sitting on the ramp with ice and snow for 3 days prior to the flight. Reporter aircraft experienced what was described as a 'wump' followed with yaw to the right and torque at 0.0 -- all classic symptoms of an engine failure. Flight crew shut down the engine and returned to departure airport for uneventful landing. Reporter's company contacted him and quizzed him about the troubleshooting procedures he used. That was intimidating to the reporter who thought he had done as good a job as possible and handled the emergency well, but it did cause him to reflect on the scenario. Because when the apparent failure occurred, it was accompanied by many lights, such as generator failure, etc. It was a classic failure whereas had it been an electronic control unit, the generator and other accessory items driven from the engine shaft, would have stayed on the line. He received a call asking about the situation and he believes they were more concerned with proving it was not an engine failure. However, post flight inspection did reveal that there was a lot of water in the cannon plug that connects the ecu and after drying the water out, the engine was run-up and all parameters were normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JUST AFTER INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OFF, A LOUD 'WUMP' AND YAW FOLLOWED BY TORQUE READING 0 PT 0, FLC IDENTED AN ENG FAILURE AND SHUT IT DOWN. ACFT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST LEVELED AT 4000 FT AFTER DEPARTING PHF. THERE WAS A LOUD 'WUMP.' THE ACFT YAWED TO THE R. THE CAUTION PANEL BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE WITH CAUTION LIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ENG FAILURE. I NOTICED THE TORQUE GAUGE ON THE #2 ENG WAS AT 0.0. I CONFIRMED ENG FAILURE WITH MY FO. WE PERFORMED THE PRESCRIBED ENG FAILURE PROCS AND CHKLISTS AND RETURNED TO PHF WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I HAVE SOME CONCERN IN THE MANNER BY WHICH WE CONFIRMED ENG FAILURE. IN 16 YRS WITH THIS COMPANY, THIS IS THE FIRST FAILURE OTHER THAN PRACTICED IN A SIMULATOR OR SIMULATED WITH ACFT. THE COMPANY FEELS THAT POSSIBLY THE ENG DID NOT FAIL BUT MERELY WENT TO BASELINE FUEL BECAUSE OF AN ECU FAILURE. THEY FELT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INVESTIGATIVE WORK DONE. FROM MY OBSERVATION IT APPEARED THE ENG HAD COMPLETELY FAILED BECAUSE OF CAUTION LIGHTS AND 0.0 TORQUE INDICATIONS. I DID NOT NOTICE FIRST STAGE COMPRESSOR RPM OR FUEL FLOW GAUGES. THE FLT DATA RECORDER IS BEING PULLED TO SEE IF IN FACT THE ENG DID FLAME OUT OR WAS AT IDLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CAPT VERIFIED ACFT TYPE AS DHC8. THE ACFT HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE RAMP WITH ICE AND SNOW FOR 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE FLT. RPTR ACFT EXPERIENCED WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A 'WUMP' FOLLOWED WITH YAW TO THE R AND TORQUE AT 0.0 -- ALL CLASSIC SYMPTOMS OF AN ENG FAILURE. FLC SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. RPTR'S COMPANY CONTACTED HIM AND QUIZZED HIM ABOUT THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCS HE USED. THAT WAS INTIMIDATING TO THE RPTR WHO THOUGHT HE HAD DONE AS GOOD A JOB AS POSSIBLE AND HANDLED THE EMER WELL, BUT IT DID CAUSE HIM TO REFLECT ON THE SCENARIO. BECAUSE WHEN THE APPARENT FAILURE OCCURRED, IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MANY LIGHTS, SUCH AS GENERATOR FAILURE, ETC. IT WAS A CLASSIC FAILURE WHEREAS HAD IT BEEN AN ELECTRONIC CTL UNIT, THE GENERATOR AND OTHER ACCESSORY ITEMS DRIVEN FROM THE ENG SHAFT, WOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE LINE. HE RECEIVED A CALL ASKING ABOUT THE SIT AND HE BELIEVES THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH PROVING IT WAS NOT AN ENG FAILURE. HOWEVER, POST FLT INSPECTION DID REVEAL THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF WATER IN THE CANNON PLUG THAT CONNECTS THE ECU AND AFTER DRYING THE WATER OUT, THE ENG WAS RUN-UP AND ALL PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL.

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.