Small transport pilot had double engine failure.

Attributes
ACN	444935
Time
Date	199908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	199908
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hou&.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Commander 680 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 4
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	444935
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft was aerocommander 680. I personally fueled the aircraft to capacity before the flight. The poh states 223 gals useable fuel. After a 4 1/2 hour flight, with a calculated burn of 153 gals (at 17 gph/engine) plus 25 gals for climb (10000 ft), both engines quit outside the marker while being vectored to intercept the ILS. I switched to the outboard tanks, and power was restored for 10-15 seconds. Again I switched back to the main tank, but without result. At that time, the main tank fuel gauge read 27 gals. At that point I called critical fuel to the tower, and was cleared to land straight in runway 35. It was obvious that I would not make the runway with both engines windmilling, so I feathered both propellers, set best glide, and dead-sticked in. I lowered the gear on short final, and began to pump the flaps down to slow down, and restore hydraulic pressure for the brakes and steering. The touchdown was uneventful. I exited the runway to the left on the high speed, cleared the parallel taxiway, and rolled to a stop on the west ramp parking area. The aircraft was then topped off to capacity. Fuel: 187.4 gals. Suspected cause: the capacity of the aircraft's total tankage is substantially less than 223 gals (misset bladders?). Contributing factor: 25 gal error in main tank gauge. The actual capacity of the aircraft will be measured. The main tank gauge will be checked/recalibrated. ATC handling of the incident was superb-timely, professional, efficient. The tower cabin attendant called the FBO afterwards, and I had a telephone chat with the controller. He was so helpful as to dig up this NASA form for me. Great guy, great system. My performance was adequate, however, somewhere in the MEL training syllabus, some mention should be made of the technique and feathering both engines to extend the glide in a dire emergency. I guess if I hadn't seen it done before in a strike commander, I wouldn't have thought to do it. It saved the airplane, and maybe me too.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT HAD DOUBLE ENG FAILURE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS AEROCOMMANDER 680. I PERSONALLY FUELED THE ACFT TO CAPACITY BEFORE THE FLT. THE POH STATES 223 GALS USEABLE FUEL. AFTER A 4 1/2 HR FLT, WITH A CALCULATED BURN OF 153 GALS (AT 17 GPH/ENG) PLUS 25 GALS FOR CLB (10000 FT), BOTH ENGS QUIT OUTSIDE THE MARKER WHILE BEING VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE ILS. I SWITCHED TO THE OUTBOARD TANKS, AND PWR WAS RESTORED FOR 10-15 SECONDS. AGAIN I SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAIN TANK, BUT WITHOUT RESULT. AT THAT TIME, THE MAIN TANK FUEL GAUGE READ 27 GALS. AT THAT POINT I CALLED CRITICAL FUEL TO THE TWR, AND WAS CLRED TO LAND STRAIGHT IN RWY 35. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE THE RWY WITH BOTH ENGS WINDMILLING, SO I FEATHERED BOTH PROPS, SET BEST GLIDE, AND DEAD-STICKED IN. I LOWERED THE GEAR ON SHORT FINAL, AND BEGAN TO PUMP THE FLAPS DOWN TO SLOW DOWN, AND RESTORE HYD PRESSURE FOR THE BRAKES AND STEERING. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL. I EXITED THE RWY TO THE L ON THE HIGH SPD, CLRED THE PARALLEL TXWY, AND ROLLED TO A STOP ON THE W RAMP PARKING AREA. THE ACFT WAS THEN TOPPED OFF TO CAPACITY. FUEL: 187.4 GALS. SUSPECTED CAUSE: THE CAPACITY OF THE ACFT'S TOTAL TANKAGE IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 223 GALS (MISSET BLADDERS?). CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: 25 GAL ERROR IN MAIN TANK GAUGE. THE ACTUAL CAPACITY OF THE ACFT WILL BE MEASURED. THE MAIN TANK GAUGE WILL BE CHKED/RECALIBRATED. ATC HANDLING OF THE INCIDENT WAS SUPERB-TIMELY, PROFESSIONAL, EFFICIENT. THE TWR CAB CALLED THE FBO AFTERWARDS, AND I HAD A TELEPHONE CHAT WITH THE CTLR. HE WAS SO HELPFUL AS TO DIG UP THIS NASA FORM FOR ME. GREAT GUY, GREAT SYS. MY PERFORMANCE WAS ADEQUATE, HOWEVER, SOMEWHERE IN THE MEL TRAINING SYLLABUS, SOME MENTION SHOULD BE MADE OF THE TECHNIQUE AND FEATHERING BOTH ENGS TO EXTEND THE GLIDE IN A DIRE EMER. I GUESS IF I HADN'T SEEN IT DONE BEFORE IN A STRIKE COMMANDER, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT TO DO IT. IT SAVED THE AIRPLANE, AND MAYBE ME TOO.

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.