Narrative:

I was at a cruise altitude of 8000 ft MSL over southeast ohio. At this time I was operating on the auxiliary tanks. It wasn't more than a few mins later, with the auxiliary fuel gauge reading 90 pounds per side that the left engine sputtered then died. My son pointed to the left fuel flow needle reading no flow and remarked 'we lost the engine.' I immediately put both mixtures at full forward and selected the main tanks on both fuel selectors. No response on the left engine. I then tried the starter button several times to no avail. Then, thinking it might be the engine driven fuel pump, placed the auxiliary fuel pump switch in high position, hit the starter button. Still no response. It was at this time, I called ATC and informed them of the loss of an engine and that I would like vectors to the nearest VFR airport along with a descent. I was thinking that I would have an easier time staying level at a lower altitude than at the present 8000 ft MSL. The controller gave me vectors to ross county airport, 11 O'clock position and some 12 mi. As we descended, he asked if I would like to declare an emergency. I said, 'yeah, just give me some vectors to the airport, everything is fine.' as we continued to descend to 4000 ft MSL as instructed, I decided to review all the procedures again. Mixtures full rich, fuel pumps on, throttles full forward and when I then rechked the left fuel selector moving it from main, back to auxiliary position, then back to main, it became hard to move toward the main tank position this time. With my hands full (I was IMC now) I asked my son to look at the selector. On inspecting the selector he found a quarter (25 cent piece) had somehow fallen into the fuel selector well and had lodged flat under the fuel selector arm, thus preventing the arm from fully deploying into the main detent position. After about 30 seconds of fiddling, he dislodged the quarter, placed the fuel selector in the main detent position and the left engine fired back to life. I think it was about this time that I was switched to columbus approach. He gave me a heading to 360 degrees and maintain 4000 ft. With both engines running, I asked my son to switch the left fuel selector back to the auxiliary position. I wanted to verify that the problem was indeed the jammed fuel selector switch. Sure enough, when he switch to the auxiliary indicator, the engine died and when he reselected the main tank again, the engine fired back to life. At this time, I decided all system were normal and informed ATC that I had both engines operating, everything was fine and I would like to continue on to my original destination of auburn, via rosewood VOR. He then cleared me as requested and I proceeded accordingly. I continued on to auburn, shot the VOR 9 approach and landed without any further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C310 PLT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE WHILE CRUISING AT 8000 FT. DUE TO A FOREIGN OBJECT OBSTRUCTING THE FUEL SELECTOR.

Narrative: I WAS AT A CRUISE ALT OF 8000 FT MSL OVER SE OHIO. AT THIS TIME I WAS OPERATING ON THE AUX TANKS. IT WASN'T MORE THAN A FEW MINS LATER, WITH THE AUX FUEL GAUGE READING 90 LBS PER SIDE THAT THE L ENG SPUTTERED THEN DIED. MY SON POINTED TO THE L FUEL FLOW NEEDLE READING NO FLOW AND REMARKED 'WE LOST THE ENG.' I IMMEDIATELY PUT BOTH MIXTURES AT FULL FORWARD AND SELECTED THE MAIN TANKS ON BOTH FUEL SELECTORS. NO RESPONSE ON THE L ENG. I THEN TRIED THE STARTER BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THEN, THINKING IT MIGHT BE THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, PLACED THE AUX FUEL PUMP SWITCH IN HIGH POS, HIT THE STARTER BUTTON. STILL NO RESPONSE. IT WAS AT THIS TIME, I CALLED ATC AND INFORMED THEM OF THE LOSS OF AN ENG AND THAT I WOULD LIKE VECTORS TO THE NEAREST VFR ARPT ALONG WITH A DSCNT. I WAS THINKING THAT I WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME STAYING LEVEL AT A LOWER ALT THAN AT THE PRESENT 8000 FT MSL. THE CTLR GAVE ME VECTORS TO ROSS COUNTY ARPT, 11 O'CLOCK POS AND SOME 12 MI. AS WE DSNDED, HE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE AN EMER. I SAID, 'YEAH, JUST GIVE ME SOME VECTORS TO THE ARPT, EVERYTHING IS FINE.' AS WE CONTINUED TO DSND TO 4000 FT MSL AS INSTRUCTED, I DECIDED TO REVIEW ALL THE PROCS AGAIN. MIXTURES FULL RICH, FUEL PUMPS ON, THROTTLES FULL FORWARD AND WHEN I THEN RECHKED THE L FUEL SELECTOR MOVING IT FROM MAIN, BACK TO AUX POS, THEN BACK TO MAIN, IT BECAME HARD TO MOVE TOWARD THE MAIN TANK POS THIS TIME. WITH MY HANDS FULL (I WAS IMC NOW) I ASKED MY SON TO LOOK AT THE SELECTOR. ON INSPECTING THE SELECTOR HE FOUND A QUARTER (25 CENT PIECE) HAD SOMEHOW FALLEN INTO THE FUEL SELECTOR WELL AND HAD LODGED FLAT UNDER THE FUEL SELECTOR ARM, THUS PREVENTING THE ARM FROM FULLY DEPLOYING INTO THE MAIN DETENT POS. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS OF FIDDLING, HE DISLODGED THE QUARTER, PLACED THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE MAIN DETENT POS AND THE L ENG FIRED BACK TO LIFE. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT I WAS SWITCHED TO COLUMBUS APCH. HE GAVE ME A HDG TO 360 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING, I ASKED MY SON TO SWITCH THE L FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE AUX POS. I WANTED TO VERIFY THAT THE PROB WAS INDEED THE JAMMED FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH. SURE ENOUGH, WHEN HE SWITCH TO THE AUX INDICATOR, THE ENG DIED AND WHEN HE RESELECTED THE MAIN TANK AGAIN, THE ENG FIRED BACK TO LIFE. AT THIS TIME, I DECIDED ALL SYS WERE NORMAL AND INFORMED ATC THAT I HAD BOTH ENGS OPERATING, EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ON TO MY ORIGINAL DEST OF AUBURN, VIA ROSEWOOD VOR. HE THEN CLRED ME AS REQUESTED AND I PROCEEDED ACCORDINGLY. I CONTINUED ON TO AUBURN, SHOT THE VOR 9 APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.