An embraer 120 in cruise at 15000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to loss of right engine ...

Attributes
ACN	409683
Time
Date	199807
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zse
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	409683
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	409614
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

An engine failure occurred due to an electronic fuel control unit. An emergency was declared, and the aircraft was turned around back toward sea while the first officer proceeded with the emergency checklists. Power was restored to the engine after the appropriate checklists were accomplished. A landing was made without emergency equipment (at our request). Dispatch was called as well as maintenance control. We were instructed to MEL the electronic engine control (eec) and continue our flight. No other problems occurred. Our chief pilot was called and notified. I have received criticism over some items from various sources and will be seeking additional information on these comments. We were, however, doing exactly as instructed by dispatch and maintenance control. I have decided that declaring an emergency (even before finishing emergency checklists) was ok due to the 'nearest suitable airport' rule. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was an embraer 120 with pwc PW118A engines with electronic engine controls. The reporter said the electronic engine controls have been the cause of considerable problems on this aircraft. The reporter stated in this case the fault was a sensor input to the electronic engine control which caused the engine to drop 11% power. The reporter said criticism was leveled at the reporter for bringing the aircraft back to sea but the 'land at a suitable airport' rule in the quick reference handbook was the deciding factors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 120 IN CRUISE AT 15000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF R ENG PWR CAUSED BY A FAULTY INPUT SENSOR TO THE ELECTRONIC ENG CTL.

Narrative: AN ENG FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO AN ELECTRONIC FUEL CTL UNIT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED, AND THE ACFT WAS TURNED AROUND BACK TOWARD SEA WHILE THE FO PROCEEDED WITH THE EMER CHKLISTS. PWR WAS RESTORED TO THE ENG AFTER THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. A LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT EMER EQUIP (AT OUR REQUEST). DISPATCH WAS CALLED AS WELL AS MAINT CTL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MEL THE ELECTRONIC ENG CTL (EEC) AND CONTINUE OUR FLT. NO OTHER PROBS OCCURRED. OUR CHIEF PLT WAS CALLED AND NOTIFIED. I HAVE RECEIVED CRITICISM OVER SOME ITEMS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND WILL BE SEEKING ADDITIONAL INFO ON THESE COMMENTS. WE WERE, HOWEVER, DOING EXACTLY AS INSTRUCTED BY DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. I HAVE DECIDED THAT DECLARING AN EMER (EVEN BEFORE FINISHING EMER CHKLISTS) WAS OK DUE TO THE 'NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT' RULE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS AN EMBRAER 120 WITH PWC PW118A ENGS WITH ELECTRONIC ENG CTLS. THE RPTR SAID THE ELECTRONIC ENG CTLS HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF CONSIDERABLE PROBS ON THIS ACFT. THE RPTR STATED IN THIS CASE THE FAULT WAS A SENSOR INPUT TO THE ELECTRONIC ENG CTL WHICH CAUSED THE ENG TO DROP 11% PWR. THE RPTR SAID CRITICISM WAS LEVELED AT THE RPTR FOR BRINGING THE ACFT BACK TO SEA BUT THE 'LAND AT A SUITABLE ARPT' RULE IN THE QUICK REF HANDBOOK WAS THE DECIDING FACTORS.

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.

An embraer 120 in cruise at 15000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to loss of right engine power caused by a faulty input sensor to the electronic engine control.