Narrative:

At XX55 am on aug/xx/96, 10 mins after leaving from my home airport, I was leveling at an altitude of 8000 ft over the buffalo arsa heading west over lake erie, when the right engine of the plane stopped producing power. In the process of securing the problem engine, the propeller quit rotating, thus I was unable to feather the blades. Also I was unable to feather with either the starter or airspeed. I was unable to maintain altitude and heading down lake erie. I therefore made a 180 degree turn (exact course reversal) and now level at 7000 ft (last assigned altitude was 8000 ft). Buffalo ATC requested an explanation. I explained that I needed to return immediately, but there was no emergency. My home base 01G was 28 NM away, but only 3400 ft in length. The familiar alternative gvq was 20 NM away, 4400 ft in length and has ILS into prevailing wind, which I requested and was given. I was also given a phone number to call when on the ground. Immediately after landing I secured the aircraft and before I could be connected to the FAA, the FAA supervisor, FSDO, was on the other phone. The discussion that followed included the course reversal and loss of 1000 ft in altitude without notifying ATC for permission. FSDO stated that I was over the 'bang area' where radar was not effective and they did not notice me until I was again in radar at 7000 ft and in the wrong direction. He also felt that I made a poor choice in not calling for an emergency and landing at buffalo. My explanation was as follows. Conditions were IMC heading over lake erie. I spent a considerable amount of time attempting to feather the inoperative engine. I was unable to hold altitude (losing 200-300 FPM) and I felt more comfortable landing at a familiar airport at genesee county (I've never landed in buffalo). Also note that every yr for the past 13 yrs, I have attended a beechcraft sponsored american bonanza society 3-DAY pilot proficiency course. Of the 5-6 hours of actual flying during these courses, more than half of the time is spent on all types of maneuvers (instrument approachs, unusual altitudes, climbs, steep turns, landing, etc) using only a single engine. Thus, I was very prepared to handle an actual engine out landing, although the inability to feather and maintain altitude caused additional pressure. FSDO reviewed the situation with the tower manager and stated that I was wrong for not declaring an emergency immediately, I was wrong in changing direction and altitude without permission, and I was foolish for not using buffalo emergency services. He concluded that the problem would not be reported and would be kept between us. I agreed with FSDO on all points. My training has taught me to: 1) fly the airplane, 2) attend to the problem, and 3) then communicate. All of which I did, in the correct order, as I have been instructed. In retrospect, I should have advised ATC of the problem, requested a change in direction and of the altitude loss, immediately or during the time I was securing the engine, and not waited to do this until last. Upon investigation, the engine has a broken crank shaft, thus the propeller could not rotate to feather. The factory remanufactured engine was at less than tbo time. Changes intervals have been performed every 25-30 hours and an oil sample analysis system was used since the engine was new, which indicated only normal wear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT HAS ENG SEIZURE OVER LAKE ERIE, PLT REVERSES COURSE AND LANDS AT ALTERNATE ARPT, ALL WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER.

Narrative: AT XX55 AM ON AUG/XX/96, 10 MINS AFTER LEAVING FROM MY HOME ARPT, I WAS LEVELING AT AN ALT OF 8000 FT OVER THE BUFFALO ARSA HEADING W OVER LAKE ERIE, WHEN THE R ENG OF THE PLANE STOPPED PRODUCING PWR. IN THE PROCESS OF SECURING THE PROB ENG, THE PROP QUIT ROTATING, THUS I WAS UNABLE TO FEATHER THE BLADES. ALSO I WAS UNABLE TO FEATHER WITH EITHER THE STARTER OR AIRSPD. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND HEADING DOWN LAKE ERIE. I THEREFORE MADE A 180 DEG TURN (EXACT COURSE REVERSAL) AND NOW LEVEL AT 7000 FT (LAST ASSIGNED ALT WAS 8000 FT). BUFFALO ATC REQUESTED AN EXPLANATION. I EXPLAINED THAT I NEEDED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY, BUT THERE WAS NO EMER. MY HOME BASE 01G WAS 28 NM AWAY, BUT ONLY 3400 FT IN LENGTH. THE FAMILIAR ALTERNATIVE GVQ WAS 20 NM AWAY, 4400 FT IN LENGTH AND HAS ILS INTO PREVAILING WIND, WHICH I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN. I WAS ALSO GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN ON THE GND. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG I SECURED THE ACFT AND BEFORE I COULD BE CONNECTED TO THE FAA, THE FAA SUPVR, FSDO, WAS ON THE OTHER PHONE. THE DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWED INCLUDED THE COURSE REVERSAL AND LOSS OF 1000 FT IN ALT WITHOUT NOTIFYING ATC FOR PERMISSION. FSDO STATED THAT I WAS OVER THE 'BANG AREA' WHERE RADAR WAS NOT EFFECTIVE AND THEY DID NOT NOTICE ME UNTIL I WAS AGAIN IN RADAR AT 7000 FT AND IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HE ALSO FELT THAT I MADE A POOR CHOICE IN NOT CALLING FOR AN EMER AND LNDG AT BUFFALO. MY EXPLANATION WAS AS FOLLOWS. CONDITIONS WERE IMC HEADING OVER LAKE ERIE. I SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME ATTEMPTING TO FEATHER THE INOP ENG. I WAS UNABLE TO HOLD ALT (LOSING 200-300 FPM) AND I FELT MORE COMFORTABLE LNDG AT A FAMILIAR ARPT AT GENESEE COUNTY (I'VE NEVER LANDED IN BUFFALO). ALSO NOTE THAT EVERY YR FOR THE PAST 13 YRS, I HAVE ATTENDED A BEECHCRAFT SPONSORED AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 3-DAY PLT PROFICIENCY COURSE. OF THE 5-6 HRS OF ACTUAL FLYING DURING THESE COURSES, MORE THAN HALF OF THE TIME IS SPENT ON ALL TYPES OF MANEUVERS (INST APCHS, UNUSUAL ALTS, CLBS, STEEP TURNS, LNDG, ETC) USING ONLY A SINGLE ENG. THUS, I WAS VERY PREPARED TO HANDLE AN ACTUAL ENG OUT LNDG, ALTHOUGH THE INABILITY TO FEATHER AND MAINTAIN ALT CAUSED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE. FSDO REVIEWED THE SIT WITH THE TWR MGR AND STATED THAT I WAS WRONG FOR NOT DECLARING AN EMER IMMEDIATELY, I WAS WRONG IN CHANGING DIRECTION AND ALT WITHOUT PERMISSION, AND I WAS FOOLISH FOR NOT USING BUFFALO EMER SVCS. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE PROB WOULD NOT BE RPTED AND WOULD BE KEPT BTWN US. I AGREED WITH FSDO ON ALL POINTS. MY TRAINING HAS TAUGHT ME TO: 1) FLY THE AIRPLANE, 2) ATTEND TO THE PROB, AND 3) THEN COMMUNICATE. ALL OF WHICH I DID, IN THE CORRECT ORDER, AS I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ATC OF THE PROB, REQUESTED A CHANGE IN DIRECTION AND OF THE ALT LOSS, IMMEDIATELY OR DURING THE TIME I WAS SECURING THE ENG, AND NOT WAITED TO DO THIS UNTIL LAST. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE ENG HAS A BROKEN CRANK SHAFT, THUS THE PROP COULD NOT ROTATE TO FEATHER. THE FACTORY REMANUFACTURED ENG WAS AT LESS THAN TBO TIME. CHANGES INTERVALS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED EVERY 25-30 HRS AND AN OIL SAMPLE ANALYSIS SYS WAS USED SINCE THE ENG WAS NEW, WHICH INDICATED ONLY NORMAL WEAR.

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.