A cpr C310 pilot on an IFR cross country flight starts losing fuel pressure on the right engine and ...

Attributes
ACN	371252
Time
Date	199706
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sju
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 1042 flight time type : 56
ASRS Report	371252
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
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 none taken : anomaly accepted other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On jun/xa/97, I conducted an IFR flight in a C310 from ads direct mqp direct sjt with an alternate filed to maf. Actual departure time was approximately XD15 local time. The flight was originally planned to depart at XA00, but was postponed due to severe WX along the route and IFR conditions. At the time of departure, WX conditions in the dallas area were reported VFR. At the destination, the WX was marginal VFR/IFR with a rapid improving trend. At abilene, the WX was still IFR due to a low temperature/dewpoint spread. At approximately 100 NM from sjt, I experienced a decrease in fuel pressure on the right engine which resulted in a partial loss in power. At this time, I began to analyze the problem. I turned the auxiliary fuel pump to the low setting which resulted in no change of performance. I then turned the auxiliary fuel pump to the high setting which resulted in an improvement of engine performance, but this still did not completely solve the problem. The problem was reported to ZFW. I had suspected a possible fuel pump failure or a restriction in the fuel system. At this time, serious consideration was given to terminating the flight as planned and landing at a nearby airport. As I was analyzing the WX in the area and along the remainder of the route, the engine decayed to the point where I decided that a precautionary shutdown of the right engine was appropriate. At this time, I was approximately 65-70 NM from san angelo. The airports with IAP's along the route were reporting IFR. Sjt was reporting VFR. The decision was made to continue the flight to sjt which was reporting VFR instead of landing at bwd which was 25 mi to the ese of my position and abi which was 40 mi to the northeast of my position. Both of these alternative airports were IFR. Bwd was a second alternative due to IFR conditions and my inexperience with the non precision approach procedure at an unfamiliar airport. The flight was continued uneventfully to sjt and an emergency was not declared. A safe and successful landing was made.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR C310 PLT ON AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT STARTS LOSING FUEL PRESSURE ON THE R ENG AND FINALLY DECIDES TO SHUT IT DOWN. HE ALSO DECIDES, BECAUSE OF WX CONSIDERATIONS, TO CONTINUE TO HIS DEST RATHER THAN LAND AT A NEARER ARPT.

Narrative: ON JUN/XA/97, I CONDUCTED AN IFR FLT IN A C310 FROM ADS DIRECT MQP DIRECT SJT WITH AN ALTERNATE FILED TO MAF. ACTUAL DEP TIME WAS APPROX XD15 LCL TIME. THE FLT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO DEPART AT XA00, BUT WAS POSTPONED DUE TO SEVERE WX ALONG THE RTE AND IFR CONDITIONS. AT THE TIME OF DEP, WX CONDITIONS IN THE DALLAS AREA WERE RPTED VFR. AT THE DEST, THE WX WAS MARGINAL VFR/IFR WITH A RAPID IMPROVING TREND. AT ABILENE, THE WX WAS STILL IFR DUE TO A LOW TEMP/DEWPOINT SPREAD. AT APPROX 100 NM FROM SJT, I EXPERIENCED A DECREASE IN FUEL PRESSURE ON THE R ENG WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS IN PWR. AT THIS TIME, I BEGAN TO ANALYZE THE PROB. I TURNED THE AUX FUEL PUMP TO THE LOW SETTING WHICH RESULTED IN NO CHANGE OF PERFORMANCE. I THEN TURNED THE AUX FUEL PUMP TO THE HIGH SETTING WHICH RESULTED IN AN IMPROVEMENT OF ENG PERFORMANCE, BUT THIS STILL DID NOT COMPLETELY SOLVE THE PROB. THE PROB WAS RPTED TO ZFW. I HAD SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP FAILURE OR A RESTRICTION IN THE FUEL SYS. AT THIS TIME, SERIOUS CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO TERMINATING THE FLT AS PLANNED AND LNDG AT A NEARBY ARPT. AS I WAS ANALYZING THE WX IN THE AREA AND ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE RTE, THE ENG DECAYED TO THE POINT WHERE I DECIDED THAT A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF THE R ENG WAS APPROPRIATE. AT THIS TIME, I WAS APPROX 65-70 NM FROM SAN ANGELO. THE ARPTS WITH IAP'S ALONG THE RTE WERE RPTING IFR. SJT WAS RPTING VFR. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO SJT WHICH WAS RPTING VFR INSTEAD OF LNDG AT BWD WHICH WAS 25 MI TO THE ESE OF MY POS AND ABI WHICH WAS 40 MI TO THE NE OF MY POS. BOTH OF THESE ALTERNATIVE ARPTS WERE IFR. BWD WAS A SECOND ALTERNATIVE DUE TO IFR CONDITIONS AND MY INEXPERIENCE WITH THE NON PRECISION APCH PROC AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. THE FLT WAS CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO SJT AND AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED. A SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS MADE.

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.

A cpr C310 pilot on an IFR cross country flight starts losing fuel pressure on the right engine and finally decides to shut it down. He also decides, because of WX considerations, to continue to his destination rather than land at a nearer airport.