Narrative:

Method of navigation: VOR/GPS. WX conditions: VFR/no turbulence. Aircraft model: cessna 414. The preflight inspection was performed in a standard fashion. Each of the gas tanks were inspected and were full. All drain sites were purged and no water or contaminants were found. Everything was fine until I reached the sie area. I was on washington radar following. At this time I switched back to the main (tip) tanks. The fuel pumps were on low throughout the flight. The right alternator indicator light had illuminated. The emergency checklist was performed and determined that the indicator light may have been faulty. This was suspected since the right alternator load meter was the same as that of the left side. I reduced my electrical draw by turning off the cabin heat since it draws approximately 35 amps. My intentions were to contact ZDC, alter my flight plan and find a nearby airport with an FBO to inspect my aircraft. I tried to contact ZDC. I could not reach anyone on the newly assigned frequency or the previously assigned frequency. Each radio was tried. I tried flight watch on 122.0 and could not reach anyone. Then I tried and was successful in reaching atlantic city approach. I informed them of my problem and they tried to contact ZDC for me and assigned me another frequency. Again, ZDC was not reachable. At this time my right engine precipitously failed. There was no noticeable noise or vibration. I put the fuel pump on high. I had probably put both fuel pumps on high since they were both in that position upon landing. The indicated fuel was over 40 gals in each main (tip) tank. I was unable to restart the engine. I announced the emergency and changed my squawk code to 7700. Atlantic city cleared me for the approach. I was able to maintain my assigned altitude. Once my landing clearance was obtained I lost all contact with atlantic city and then I lost the second engine. I was able to restart the left engine. The airport was in sight after I descended below a thin cloud layer at approximately 5000 ft. I lowered the landing gear when I had the airport 'made,' landed on runway 23 and taxied until I could turn off safely. When I reduced power to just above idle the engine failed. I was towed from one of the taxi lanes to the FBO. No visible damage to the plane occurred and no passenger was harmed. The plane was inspected by the FBO and a broken right engine alternator wire was found. Also the ammeter switch was faulty and this may have led me to believe the fault was in the panel annunciator light. The engines ran normally and the avionics were in working order. I suspect the problem was related to an overabundance in fuel flow causing both engines to slowly flood. The emergency checklist lists that the fuel pump should be in the 'high' position. This would have caused the left engine to further flood especially since I pulled back on the throttle so I could descend to the airport without flying beyond the flap/gear range. The changing from the low position on the left side was a pilot error as I probably changed it when the right engine failed. I do not understand why I lost my radios. I obviously had electrical power since my other instruments were working. No fuse was tripped. The mechanic at the FBO told me the ammeter needs repair since the switch was faulty. He speculated that when I changed from the left engine to the right it might have only indicated the load on the left engine. I had recently graduated from simcom in order to fly my newly purchased cessna 414. During my training I was told to always fly with fuel pump in the 'low' position. I challenged this practice but complied. I had not done this in my cessna 310 which has a similar fuel system. I am curious if the low position is enough to cause a slow flood situation? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he still does not know for sure why the first engine quit. He does know that the second engine quit after he placed fuel pump on high. He has not been able to get his poh from the aircraft as he had to leave it for inspection. The FAA inspected it and told him to enjoy, it was a great airplane and his emergency procedures were excellent. Reporter has arranged to have the aircraft flown to his home base where he intends to have his own mechanic do a thorough inspection. Reporter indicated he will call the manufacturer when he has been able to reread the poh and be assured of the procedures suggested. His training at simcom was required by his insurance company and he is pleased that he had it, but does question the fuel pump procedures due to this experience. Reporter indicated he will relay any information he receives to analyst.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 PLT HAS R ENG QUIT, UNABLE TO RESTART. DECLARES EMER, OBTAINS LNDG CLRNC. SECOND ENG QUITS BUT PLT ABLE TO RESTART.

Narrative: METHOD OF NAV: VOR/GPS. WX CONDITIONS: VFR/NO TURB. ACFT MODEL: CESSNA 414. THE PREFLT INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED IN A STANDARD FASHION. EACH OF THE GAS TANKS WERE INSPECTED AND WERE FULL. ALL DRAIN SITES WERE PURGED AND NO WATER OR CONTAMINANTS WERE FOUND. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I REACHED THE SIE AREA. I WAS ON WASHINGTON RADAR FOLLOWING. AT THIS TIME I SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAIN (TIP) TANKS. THE FUEL PUMPS WERE ON LOW THROUGHOUT THE FLT. THE R ALTERNATOR INDICATOR LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. THE EMER CHKLIST WAS PERFORMED AND DETERMINED THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT MAY HAVE BEEN FAULTY. THIS WAS SUSPECTED SINCE THE R ALTERNATOR LOAD METER WAS THE SAME AS THAT OF THE L SIDE. I REDUCED MY ELECTRICAL DRAW BY TURNING OFF THE CABIN HEAT SINCE IT DRAWS APPROX 35 AMPS. MY INTENTIONS WERE TO CONTACT ZDC, ALTER MY FLT PLAN AND FIND A NEARBY ARPT WITH AN FBO TO INSPECT MY ACFT. I TRIED TO CONTACT ZDC. I COULD NOT REACH ANYONE ON THE NEWLY ASSIGNED FREQ OR THE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED FREQ. EACH RADIO WAS TRIED. I TRIED FLT WATCH ON 122.0 AND COULD NOT REACH ANYONE. THEN I TRIED AND WAS SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING ATLANTIC CITY APCH. I INFORMED THEM OF MY PROB AND THEY TRIED TO CONTACT ZDC FOR ME AND ASSIGNED ME ANOTHER FREQ. AGAIN, ZDC WAS NOT REACHABLE. AT THIS TIME MY R ENG PRECIPITOUSLY FAILED. THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE NOISE OR VIBRATION. I PUT THE FUEL PUMP ON HIGH. I HAD PROBABLY PUT BOTH FUEL PUMPS ON HIGH SINCE THEY WERE BOTH IN THAT POS UPON LNDG. THE INDICATED FUEL WAS OVER 40 GALS IN EACH MAIN (TIP) TANK. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENG. I ANNOUNCED THE EMER AND CHANGED MY SQUAWK CODE TO 7700. ATLANTIC CITY CLRED ME FOR THE APCH. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY ASSIGNED ALT. ONCE MY LNDG CLRNC WAS OBTAINED I LOST ALL CONTACT WITH ATLANTIC CITY AND THEN I LOST THE SECOND ENG. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE L ENG. THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT AFTER I DSNDED BELOW A THIN CLOUD LAYER AT APPROX 5000 FT. I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR WHEN I HAD THE ARPT 'MADE,' LANDED ON RWY 23 AND TAXIED UNTIL I COULD TURN OFF SAFELY. WHEN I REDUCED PWR TO JUST ABOVE IDLE THE ENG FAILED. I WAS TOWED FROM ONE OF THE TAXI LANES TO THE FBO. NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OCCURRED AND NO PAX WAS HARMED. THE PLANE WAS INSPECTED BY THE FBO AND A BROKEN R ENG ALTERNATOR WIRE WAS FOUND. ALSO THE AMMETER SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND THIS MAY HAVE LED ME TO BELIEVE THE FAULT WAS IN THE PANEL ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT. THE ENGS RAN NORMALLY AND THE AVIONICS WERE IN WORKING ORDER. I SUSPECT THE PROB WAS RELATED TO AN OVERABUNDANCE IN FUEL FLOW CAUSING BOTH ENGS TO SLOWLY FLOOD. THE EMER CHKLIST LISTS THAT THE FUEL PUMP SHOULD BE IN THE 'HIGH' POS. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE L ENG TO FURTHER FLOOD ESPECIALLY SINCE I PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE SO I COULD DSND TO THE ARPT WITHOUT FLYING BEYOND THE FLAP/GEAR RANGE. THE CHANGING FROM THE LOW POS ON THE L SIDE WAS A PLT ERROR AS I PROBABLY CHANGED IT WHEN THE R ENG FAILED. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I LOST MY RADIOS. I OBVIOUSLY HAD ELECTRICAL PWR SINCE MY OTHER INSTS WERE WORKING. NO FUSE WAS TRIPPED. THE MECH AT THE FBO TOLD ME THE AMMETER NEEDS REPAIR SINCE THE SWITCH WAS FAULTY. HE SPECULATED THAT WHEN I CHANGED FROM THE L ENG TO THE R IT MIGHT HAVE ONLY INDICATED THE LOAD ON THE L ENG. I HAD RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM SIMCOM IN ORDER TO FLY MY NEWLY PURCHASED CESSNA 414. DURING MY TRAINING I WAS TOLD TO ALWAYS FLY WITH FUEL PUMP IN THE 'LOW' POS. I CHALLENGED THIS PRACTICE BUT COMPLIED. I HAD NOT DONE THIS IN MY CESSNA 310 WHICH HAS A SIMILAR FUEL SYS. I AM CURIOUS IF THE LOW POS IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE A SLOW FLOOD SIT? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE STILL DOES NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHY THE FIRST ENG QUIT. HE DOES KNOW THAT THE SECOND ENG QUIT AFTER HE PLACED FUEL PUMP ON HIGH. HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET HIS POH FROM THE ACFT AS HE HAD TO LEAVE IT FOR INSPECTION. THE FAA INSPECTED IT AND TOLD HIM TO ENJOY, IT WAS A GREAT AIRPLANE AND HIS EMER PROCS WERE EXCELLENT. RPTR HAS ARRANGED TO HAVE THE ACFT FLOWN TO HIS HOME BASE WHERE HE INTENDS TO HAVE HIS OWN MECH DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION. RPTR INDICATED HE WILL CALL THE MANUFACTURER WHEN HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO REREAD THE POH AND BE ASSURED OF THE PROCS SUGGESTED. HIS TRAINING AT SIMCOM WAS REQUIRED BY HIS INSURANCE COMPANY AND HE IS PLEASED THAT HE HAD IT, BUT DOES QUESTION THE FUEL PUMP PROCS DUE TO THIS EXPERIENCE. RPTR INDICATED HE WILL RELAY ANY INFO HE RECEIVES TO ANALYST.

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.