Pilot of a cessna 310 was forced to divert land after 1 engine quit due to fuel starvation while att...

Attributes
ACN	335706
Time
Date	199605
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sli airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1012 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	335706
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
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
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On final approach to john wayne airport the pilot waited to put his landing gear down, when he put it down we only received 2 green (the nose gear didn't come down). After he tried to recycle the gear we still did not get the gear to come down. We proceeded out to the practice area near the queen mary over the ocean to do the maneuvers to try to get the nosewheel to lock. After several attempts, the gear still would not lock, so we proceeded to do the emergency extensions which also didn't work. In the process of all this the pilot switched his tanks to the auxiliary tanks, but the tanks never switched, due to the selector valve was inoperative as we found out. While I (the passenger) tried to help him with the gear (I was cranking the handle) I heard the right engine quit. When I looked up I noticed the main tanks were on empty and asked why? But he also didn't know why because he had switched tanks to auxiliary earlier. We called socal approach and declared an emergency and proceed towards to shoreline (towards long beach). Socal asked if we could make long beach, he said no (since we already were at 1500 ft) and asked if we could land at los alamitos airport. They said approved. We proceed direct to los alamitos, and landed on one engine with no nosewheel. As we hit the runway, the nose hit the ground and we slid down the runway about 1000 ft to a stop off the side of the runway. Pilot did a great landing. The cause of the problem was failure of the nosewheel to retract followed by an inoperative fuel selector which made the problem even worse. To keep the problem from happening again the pilot could have been watching his fuel selector more carefully and noticing that the engines were still running on the main tanks. Even though I was just a passenger, I am writing this to protect myself due to the fact that I am also a pilot, and I do not want anyone coming to me for responsibility or anything to be on my ratings.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CESSNA 310 WAS FORCED TO DIVERT LAND AFTER 1 ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOWER THE NOSE GEAR WHICH WAS STUCK IN THE UP POS. THE SUBSEQUENT LNDG CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WHEN IT LANDED WITHOUT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH TO JOHN WAYNE ARPT THE PLT WAITED TO PUT HIS LNDG GEAR DOWN, WHEN HE PUT IT DOWN WE ONLY RECEIVED 2 GREEN (THE NOSE GEAR DIDN'T COME DOWN). AFTER HE TRIED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR WE STILL DID NOT GET THE GEAR TO COME DOWN. WE PROCEEDED OUT TO THE PRACTICE AREA NEAR THE QUEEN MARY OVER THE OCEAN TO DO THE MANEUVERS TO TRY TO GET THE NOSEWHEEL TO LOCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE GEAR STILL WOULD NOT LOCK, SO WE PROCEEDED TO DO THE EMER EXTENSIONS WHICH ALSO DIDN'T WORK. IN THE PROCESS OF ALL THIS THE PLT SWITCHED HIS TANKS TO THE AUX TANKS, BUT THE TANKS NEVER SWITCHED, DUE TO THE SELECTOR VALVE WAS INOP AS WE FOUND OUT. WHILE I (THE PAX) TRIED TO HELP HIM WITH THE GEAR (I WAS CRANKING THE HANDLE) I HEARD THE R ENG QUIT. WHEN I LOOKED UP I NOTICED THE MAIN TANKS WERE ON EMPTY AND ASKED WHY? BUT HE ALSO DIDN'T KNOW WHY BECAUSE HE HAD SWITCHED TANKS TO AUX EARLIER. WE CALLED SOCAL APCH AND DECLARED AN EMER AND PROCEED TOWARDS TO SHORELINE (TOWARDS LONG BEACH). SOCAL ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE LONG BEACH, HE SAID NO (SINCE WE ALREADY WERE AT 1500 FT) AND ASKED IF WE COULD LAND AT LOS ALAMITOS ARPT. THEY SAID APPROVED. WE PROCEED DIRECT TO LOS ALAMITOS, AND LANDED ON ONE ENG WITH NO NOSEWHEEL. AS WE HIT THE RWY, THE NOSE HIT THE GND AND WE SLID DOWN THE RWY ABOUT 1000 FT TO A STOP OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY. PLT DID A GREAT LNDG. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS FAILURE OF THE NOSEWHEEL TO RETRACT FOLLOWED BY AN INOP FUEL SELECTOR WHICH MADE THE PROB EVEN WORSE. TO KEEP THE PROB FROM HAPPENING AGAIN THE PLT COULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING HIS FUEL SELECTOR MORE CAREFULLY AND NOTICING THAT THE ENGS WERE STILL RUNNING ON THE MAIN TANKS. EVEN THOUGH I WAS JUST A PAX, I AM WRITING THIS TO PROTECT MYSELF DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM ALSO A PLT, AND I DO NOT WANT ANYONE COMING TO ME FOR RESPONSIBILITY OR ANYTHING TO BE ON MY RATINGS.

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.

Pilot of a cessna 310 was forced to divert land after 1 engine quit due to fuel starvation while attempting to lower the nose gear which was stuck in the up position. The subsequent landing caused minor damage to the aircraft when it landed without the nose gear down.