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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Left engine egt abnormal. Pilot elects to return to departure airport. During ILS approach left main gear indicates unsafe. Emergency declared. Landing uneventful.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 542862 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : luk.airport |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Weather Elements | Ice |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc tracon : cvg.tracon tower : luk.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : ils rwy zil other ndb Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level descent : approach landing : roll |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 542862 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : land gear indicator other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : executed missed approach flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport other |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Top of climb at 7000 ft MSL. We had broken out at 5300 ft MSL and were in VMC. I used the standard climb power setting of 40 inches and 2400 RPM. When I reduced the power settings and the RPM for cruise flight, I noticed the left egt rising abnormally with a correspondingly low fuel flow. I had not leaned the mixtures yet and so they were at full rich. I found that by pulling the throttle back to 21 inches, I could maintain a normal egt. I elected at that point to return to luk and ZID cleared me to proceed direct to luk. ZID handed me off to cincinnati approach control and I was cleared direct to mde NDB. During the descent I attempted to adjust the left engine mixture to see if leaning would effect engine operation. No changes in egt were apparent from full rich to engine sputtering lean. I also checked the magnetos with no abnormal indications. Shortly after leveling off at 3000 ft I was given vectors to intercept the runway 21L ILS with the intentions of circling to land runway 25. The airframe began to ice over at an accelerated rate at 3000 ft MSL. I attempted to activate the boots and adjust the cabin heater to compensate. The added distractions caused me to fly through the localizer and lose approximately 300 ft. Approach control brought this to my attention and vectored me around for another intercept. I then selected the autoplt to download myself and concentrated on the approach. The second intercept worked well and once captured, I ran through my before landing checklist. I elected to make it a 0 degree flap approach due to the icing, engine trouble, and use of the autoplt. Upon capturing the GS, I selected gear down. The left main green light did not illuminate and the gear unsafe light remained illuminated. I cycled the gear 2 times with the same result. I also pumped the auxiliary gear down pump a number of times with no improvement. I then declared an emergency, advised lunken tower of my situation and continued the approach. After breaking out, I maneuvered to land on runway 25. Upon touchdown, the left main gear green light illuminated and I taxied to parking without further incident. Maintenance findings: left engine fuel control needed adjustment with regards to mixture. Left gear mechanical down-lock needed lubrication. Hydraulic pressure did positively extend the gear over center locks properly.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: L ENG EGT ABNORMAL. PLT ELECTS TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT. DURING ILS APCH L MAIN GEAR INDICATES UNSAFE. EMER DECLARED. LNDG UNEVENTFUL.
Narrative: TOP OF CLB AT 7000 FT MSL. WE HAD BROKEN OUT AT 5300 FT MSL AND WERE IN VMC. I USED THE STANDARD CLB PWR SETTING OF 40 INCHES AND 2400 RPM. WHEN I REDUCED THE PWR SETTINGS AND THE RPM FOR CRUISE FLT, I NOTICED THE L EGT RISING ABNORMALLY WITH A CORRESPONDINGLY LOW FUEL FLOW. I HAD NOT LEANED THE MIXTURES YET AND SO THEY WERE AT FULL RICH. I FOUND THAT BY PULLING THE THROTTLE BACK TO 21 INCHES, I COULD MAINTAIN A NORMAL EGT. I ELECTED AT THAT POINT TO RETURN TO LUK AND ZID CLRED ME TO PROCEED DIRECT TO LUK. ZID HANDED ME OFF TO CINCINNATI APCH CTL AND I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO MDE NDB. DURING THE DSCNT I ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE L ENG MIXTURE TO SEE IF LEANING WOULD EFFECT ENG OP. NO CHANGES IN EGT WERE APPARENT FROM FULL RICH TO ENG SPUTTERING LEAN. I ALSO CHKED THE MAGNETOS WITH NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 3000 FT I WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 21L ILS WITH THE INTENTIONS OF CIRCLING TO LAND RWY 25. THE AIRFRAME BEGAN TO ICE OVER AT AN ACCELERATED RATE AT 3000 FT MSL. I ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE BOOTS AND ADJUST THE CABIN HEATER TO COMPENSATE. THE ADDED DISTRACTIONS CAUSED ME TO FLY THROUGH THE LOC AND LOSE APPROX 300 FT. APCH CTL BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTN AND VECTORED ME AROUND FOR ANOTHER INTERCEPT. I THEN SELECTED THE AUTOPLT TO DOWNLOAD MYSELF AND CONCENTRATED ON THE APCH. THE SECOND INTERCEPT WORKED WELL AND ONCE CAPTURED, I RAN THROUGH MY BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. I ELECTED TO MAKE IT A 0 DEG FLAP APCH DUE TO THE ICING, ENG TROUBLE, AND USE OF THE AUTOPLT. UPON CAPTURING THE GS, I SELECTED GEAR DOWN. THE L MAIN GREEN LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. I CYCLED THE GEAR 2 TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. I ALSO PUMPED THE AUX GEAR DOWN PUMP A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. I THEN DECLARED AN EMER, ADVISED LUNKEN TWR OF MY SIT AND CONTINUED THE APCH. AFTER BREAKING OUT, I MANEUVERED TO LAND ON RWY 25. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE L MAIN GEAR GREEN LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND I TAXIED TO PARKING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MAINT FINDINGS: L ENG FUEL CTL NEEDED ADJUSTMENT WITH REGARDS TO MIXTURE. L GEAR MECHANICAL DOWN-LOCK NEEDED LUBRICATION. HYD PRESSURE DID POSITIVELY EXTEND THE GEAR OVER CTR LOCKS PROPERLY.
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.