An aeronautical commander 690 in cruise at 16000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to right ...

Attributes
ACN	525922
Time
Date	200109
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lex.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl single value : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Turbo Commander 690C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	525922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : right engine indications other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On sep/xa/01 at approximately XB00, I was flying at 16000 ft near lexington, ky, on an IFR flight plan from avl-sbn. At about XA45 I was noticing a horsepwr indicator fluctuation, without any engine itt, nor fuel flow disturbances. I thought this appeared to be electrical in error. I mentioned to the other men on board that take notice of this fluctuating indicator, and if the engine actually hesitates, or follows this horsepwr indicator, I would, as a precaution, shut the engine to feather. A few seconds later, I asked my copilot if he smelled smoke. He said no. About 30 seconds later, the horsepwr indicator made a 100 horsepwr drop and the engine fuel flow and itt followed this time, so I feathered the engine. In the shutdown procedure, we noticed smoke and a 2 inch flame near the windshield heater block for the right side. I immediately shut off the windshield heat button, pulled the circuit breaker. The smoke and flame went out. In this time frame, I had alerted ATC that I was declaring an emergency, due to a precautionary right engine feather and that we had smoke and fire in the cockpit and requested a vector to the nearest airport. ATC gave me an immediate heading and I went into an emergency descent for this airport, desiring to get the aircraft on the ground as quickly as possible to disembark the passenger. Within 1 min of this chaos, the smoke and flame went out and I contacted ATC with the results that 'the right engine is feathered, the smoke and flame is out and I desire a vector to a large airport with facilities.' ATC vectored us to lex. I landed without further events. Sep/xf/01, I received the oil analysis as normal. The service center mechanic found that the right engine transducer (1974 vintage) had given the erroneous information to the horsepwr indicator. This was the reason for the precautionary shutdown. He also found that the right windshield heat strip had shorted at the edge of the glass and electrical block (also 1974 vintage). This was the reason for the smoke and flame.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AERO COMMANDER 690 IN CRUISE AT 16000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO R ENG LOW PWR INDICATION AND SMOKE AND FLAME FROM R SIDE WINDOW HEAT BUS.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/01 AT APPROX XB00, I WAS FLYING AT 16000 FT NEAR LEXINGTON, KY, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM AVL-SBN. AT ABOUT XA45 I WAS NOTICING A HORSEPWR INDICATOR FLUCTUATION, WITHOUT ANY ENG ITT, NOR FUEL FLOW DISTURBANCES. I THOUGHT THIS APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN ERROR. I MENTIONED TO THE OTHER MEN ON BOARD THAT TAKE NOTICE OF THIS FLUCTUATING INDICATOR, AND IF THE ENG ACTUALLY HESITATES, OR FOLLOWS THIS HORSEPWR INDICATOR, I WOULD, AS A PRECAUTION, SHUT THE ENG TO FEATHER. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I ASKED MY COPLT IF HE SMELLED SMOKE. HE SAID NO. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, THE HORSEPWR INDICATOR MADE A 100 HORSEPWR DROP AND THE ENG FUEL FLOW AND ITT FOLLOWED THIS TIME, SO I FEATHERED THE ENG. IN THE SHUTDOWN PROC, WE NOTICED SMOKE AND A 2 INCH FLAME NEAR THE WINDSHIELD HEATER BLOCK FOR THE R SIDE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE WINDSHIELD HEAT BUTTON, PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE SMOKE AND FLAME WENT OUT. IN THIS TIME FRAME, I HAD ALERTED ATC THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER, DUE TO A PRECAUTIONARY R ENG FEATHER AND THAT WE HAD SMOKE AND FIRE IN THE COCKPIT AND REQUESTED A VECTOR TO THE NEAREST ARPT. ATC GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE HDG AND I WENT INTO AN EMER DSCNT FOR THIS ARPT, DESIRING TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO DISEMBARK THE PAX. WITHIN 1 MIN OF THIS CHAOS, THE SMOKE AND FLAME WENT OUT AND I CONTACTED ATC WITH THE RESULTS THAT 'THE R ENG IS FEATHERED, THE SMOKE AND FLAME IS OUT AND I DESIRE A VECTOR TO A LARGE ARPT WITH FACILITIES.' ATC VECTORED US TO LEX. I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENTS. SEP/XF/01, I RECEIVED THE OIL ANALYSIS AS NORMAL. THE SVC CTR MECH FOUND THAT THE R ENG TRANSDUCER (1974 VINTAGE) HAD GIVEN THE ERRONEOUS INFO TO THE HORSEPWR INDICATOR. THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN. HE ALSO FOUND THAT THE R WINDSHIELD HEAT STRIP HAD SHORTED AT THE EDGE OF THE GLASS AND ELECTRICAL BLOCK (ALSO 1974 VINTAGE). THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE SMOKE AND FLAME.

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 aeronautical commander 690 in cruise at 16000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to right engine low power indication and smoke and flame from right side window heat bus.