Narrative:

Descending out of FL190 to 11000 ft into oma on IFR flight plan from ftw 2 hours 30 mins into flight. At approximately 12000 ft MSL, right engine quit and aircraft went into strong right turn. After I got the aircraft under control and began shutdown procedures on the right engine, I advised center I was having a problem but looked like I had everything under control. Center immediately cleared me to descend to 4000 ft MSL and asked if they could assist or did I want to declare an emergency. I told them not at this time, but to standby. I was still descending into oma and they switched me over to oma approach. I was continuing my descent and still trying to determine why the right engine quit and I passed the broken cloud layer and center advised me that I was at 3000 ft MSL and in a MOA and that I needed to turn right 20 degrees or climb back to 4000 ft. If I turned the 20 degrees right I would be put into another MOA, so my best action was to climb back to 4000 ft MSL. I told her no, that I did not want to climb the aircraft with 1 engine. She said then I needed to declare an 'emergency,' which I said 'fine, I will declare an emergency, please vector me into oma.' at this time she began asking me how many passenger, fuel quantity, etc, apparently to complete her report. I asked her to give me tower frequency at oma as I did not want to look it back up but to put it into standby position. Instead she cleared me to the ILS approach runway 14R. I told her I did not need the approach as I had the runway in sight and was headed toward the runway, so please give me the tower. She gave me the information when I was on approximately 3 mi final. Tower was very helpful and cleared me straight in and asked if I needed any other assistance. Aircraft was landing and I taxied to the FBO. Right engine restarted on taxi. At FBO right engine gauge indicated 30 gals, left engine 20 gals. Refueled to check if gauges were correct. Right engine took 70.4 gals, left engine 80.6 gals, fuel gauges correct. Engine failed due to faulty inboard exhaust pipe creating overheating into engine area and vapor lock. Then right boost pump came on and over-fueled before I could shut down boost pump. I made the mistake of going through 4000 ft to 3000 ft. I feel that omaha approach could have been much more helpful and understanding of my problem, rather than ask me to climb or declare an emergency, and then when I did declare to avoid climbing back to 4000 ft on 1 engine, I was asked too many questions which were on my flight plan. I had no idea why the engine quit at that time and I was concerned about the other engine, my passenger, and I needed help to get me on the ground in omaha. I do not think the controller realized how busy I was in flying and controling the aircraft with 1 engine, etc. I certainly realized what I could have done better, and hope that the controller would be more understanding in the future when a pilot has a problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this engine has turbo superchargers. This causes an increase in exhaust system back pressure. The exhaust system manifold expansion joint was found to have excessive leakage of extremely hot exhaust gas into the engine nacelle. This overheated the fuel system causing vapor lock. The aircraft fuel boost pumps activated automatically causing the engine to quit due to an excessively rich mixture. Pilot has sold this aircraft and now intends to purchase a beech king air.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 ENG FAILURE. PENETRATED MIL USE AIRSPACE. MOA.

Narrative: DSNDING OUT OF FL190 TO 11000 FT INTO OMA ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM FTW 2 HRS 30 MINS INTO FLT. AT APPROX 12000 FT MSL, R ENG QUIT AND ACFT WENT INTO STRONG R TURN. AFTER I GOT THE ACFT UNDER CTL AND BEGAN SHUTDOWN PROCS ON THE R ENG, I ADVISED CTR I WAS HAVING A PROB BUT LOOKED LIKE I HAD EVERYTHING UNDER CTL. CTR IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME TO DSND TO 4000 FT MSL AND ASKED IF THEY COULD ASSIST OR DID I WANT TO DECLARE AN EMER. I TOLD THEM NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT TO STANDBY. I WAS STILL DSNDING INTO OMA AND THEY SWITCHED ME OVER TO OMA APCH. I WAS CONTINUING MY DSCNT AND STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE WHY THE R ENG QUIT AND I PASSED THE BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AND CTR ADVISED ME THAT I WAS AT 3000 FT MSL AND IN A MOA AND THAT I NEEDED TO TURN R 20 DEGS OR CLB BACK TO 4000 FT. IF I TURNED THE 20 DEGS R I WOULD BE PUT INTO ANOTHER MOA, SO MY BEST ACTION WAS TO CLB BACK TO 4000 FT MSL. I TOLD HER NO, THAT I DID NOT WANT TO CLB THE ACFT WITH 1 ENG. SHE SAID THEN I NEEDED TO DECLARE AN 'EMER,' WHICH I SAID 'FINE, I WILL DECLARE AN EMER, PLEASE VECTOR ME INTO OMA.' AT THIS TIME SHE BEGAN ASKING ME HOW MANY PAX, FUEL QUANTITY, ETC, APPARENTLY TO COMPLETE HER RPT. I ASKED HER TO GIVE ME TWR FREQ AT OMA AS I DID NOT WANT TO LOOK IT BACK UP BUT TO PUT IT INTO STANDBY POS. INSTEAD SHE CLRED ME TO THE ILS APCH RWY 14R. I TOLD HER I DID NOT NEED THE APCH AS I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WAS HEADED TOWARD THE RWY, SO PLEASE GIVE ME THE TWR. SHE GAVE ME THE INFO WHEN I WAS ON APPROX 3 MI FINAL. TWR WAS VERY HELPFUL AND CLRED ME STRAIGHT IN AND ASKED IF I NEEDED ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE. ACFT WAS LNDG AND I TAXIED TO THE FBO. R ENG RESTARTED ON TAXI. AT FBO R ENG GAUGE INDICATED 30 GALS, L ENG 20 GALS. REFUELED TO CHK IF GAUGES WERE CORRECT. R ENG TOOK 70.4 GALS, L ENG 80.6 GALS, FUEL GAUGES CORRECT. ENG FAILED DUE TO FAULTY INBOARD EXHAUST PIPE CREATING OVERHEATING INTO ENG AREA AND VAPOR LOCK. THEN R BOOST PUMP CAME ON AND OVER-FUELED BEFORE I COULD SHUT DOWN BOOST PUMP. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF GOING THROUGH 4000 FT TO 3000 FT. I FEEL THAT OMAHA APCH COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE HELPFUL AND UNDERSTANDING OF MY PROB, RATHER THAN ASK ME TO CLB OR DECLARE AN EMER, AND THEN WHEN I DID DECLARE TO AVOID CLBING BACK TO 4000 FT ON 1 ENG, I WAS ASKED TOO MANY QUESTIONS WHICH WERE ON MY FLT PLAN. I HAD NO IDEA WHY THE ENG QUIT AT THAT TIME AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER ENG, MY PAX, AND I NEEDED HELP TO GET ME ON THE GND IN OMAHA. I DO NOT THINK THE CTLR REALIZED HOW BUSY I WAS IN FLYING AND CTLING THE ACFT WITH 1 ENG, ETC. I CERTAINLY REALIZED WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER, AND HOPE THAT THE CTLR WOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDING IN THE FUTURE WHEN A PLT HAS A PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ENG HAS TURBO SUPERCHARGERS. THIS CAUSES AN INCREASE IN EXHAUST SYS BACK PRESSURE. THE EXHAUST SYS MANIFOLD EXPANSION JOINT WAS FOUND TO HAVE EXCESSIVE LEAKAGE OF EXTREMELY HOT EXHAUST GAS INTO THE ENG NACELLE. THIS OVERHEATED THE FUEL SYS CAUSING VAPOR LOCK. THE ACFT FUEL BOOST PUMPS ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY CAUSING THE ENG TO QUIT DUE TO AN EXCESSIVELY RICH MIXTURE. PLT HAS SOLD THIS ACFT AND NOW INTENDS TO PURCHASE A BEECH KING AIR.

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.