Narrative:

The takeoff roll was uneventful. The aircraft was configured with 20 degrees of flaps. Manifold pressure was 40 inches during the roll. Instrument readings were nominal. The pilot rotated the aircraft at 90 KTS. After liftoff, it was difficult to lift the gear knob. After 20 seconds, the pilot was able to raise the gear knob. The gear warning horn sounded when the knob was raised. The pilot recycled the gear down. All 3 gear down lights indicated green. The gear knob was raised again with difficulty. The gear horn was silent and the gear down lights extinguished. The pilot verified visually that the left gear and nose gear were retracted. The pilot could not see the right gear without moving from the left seat. The pilot elected to continue climb out rather than return to gcc because of the poor WX conditions at the departure airport. Manifold pressure was reduced to 37 inches and the propeller RPM's were reduced to 2400 RPM. Fuel flow was 36.5 gals per hour per engine. At 7000 ft, the pilot contacted ZLC as instructed in the departure clearance. He was cleared to FL200 and on course. At FL100, the pilot noticed that the climb performance was degraded. The autoplt was engaged and the pilot verified visually that the right main gear door was partially ajar. He could not see the gear. Because of the mountainous terrain and poor WX conditions, the pilot continued the climb while assessing flight options. At FL140, the right engine began to surge with manifold pressure fluctuations of +/-5 inches. Fuel pressure and flows were normal. Engine temperatures were normal. The aircraft was in IMC and accumulating light rime ice on the airframe. Outside air temperature was minus 04 degrees C. At this point the pilot notified ATC of the situation, declared an emergency and requested assistance in selecting an airport. The pilot was cleared to descend to FL110. Manifold pressure fluctuations ceased below FL110 but the cabin depressurized presumably because of a turbocharger failure in the right engine. The pilot was given WX conditions at bil and shr. WX conditions at shr were wind 260 at 10 V8 8/7 scattered 15 overcast 24. The pilot requested clearance to sheridan, wy (shr) and was immediately cleared direct to the shr VOR. At the time of the clearance, the aircraft was 35 NM from shr. The pilot was further cleared to fly the ILS runway 32 approach via the shr transition. The pilot was cleared to FL100 prior to reaching shr. Upon reaching the shr VOR, the pilot was instructed to switch to the local advisory frequency. The full approach was flown with an outbound procedure turn. The gear was put down at the OM. The gear indicated down and all 3 gear were visually verified to be down. The approach and landing were uneventful. Teaching points: 1) management of gear problem. 2) management of engine problem. 3) selection of alternate airport for landing. 4) decision to declare an emergency. 5) CRM during preparation for approach. 6) execution of approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER AEROSTAR SINGLE PLT DIVERTS TO SHR, WY, AFTER EXPERIENCING EQUIP PROBS AND ICING AFTER TKOF FROM GCC, WY.

Narrative: THE TKOF ROLL WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED WITH 20 DEGS OF FLAPS. MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS 40 INCHES DURING THE ROLL. INST READINGS WERE NOMINAL. THE PLT ROTATED THE ACFT AT 90 KTS. AFTER LIFTOFF, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO LIFT THE GEAR KNOB. AFTER 20 SECONDS, THE PLT WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE GEAR KNOB. THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED WHEN THE KNOB WAS RAISED. THE PLT RECYCLED THE GEAR DOWN. ALL 3 GEAR DOWN LIGHTS INDICATED GREEN. THE GEAR KNOB WAS RAISED AGAIN WITH DIFFICULTY. THE GEAR HORN WAS SILENT AND THE GEAR DOWN LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED. THE PLT VERIFIED VISUALLY THAT THE L GEAR AND NOSE GEAR WERE RETRACTED. THE PLT COULD NOT SEE THE R GEAR WITHOUT MOVING FROM THE L SEAT. THE PLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE CLBOUT RATHER THAN RETURN TO GCC BECAUSE OF THE POOR WX CONDITIONS AT THE DEP ARPT. MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS REDUCED TO 37 INCHES AND THE PROP RPM'S WERE REDUCED TO 2400 RPM. FUEL FLOW WAS 36.5 GALS PER HR PER ENG. AT 7000 FT, THE PLT CONTACTED ZLC AS INSTRUCTED IN THE DEP CLRNC. HE WAS CLRED TO FL200 AND ON COURSE. AT FL100, THE PLT NOTICED THAT THE CLB PERFORMANCE WAS DEGRADED. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND THE PLT VERIFIED VISUALLY THAT THE R MAIN GEAR DOOR WAS PARTIALLY AJAR. HE COULD NOT SEE THE GEAR. BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND POOR WX CONDITIONS, THE PLT CONTINUED THE CLB WHILE ASSESSING FLT OPTIONS. AT FL140, THE R ENG BEGAN TO SURGE WITH MANIFOLD PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS OF +/-5 INCHES. FUEL PRESSURE AND FLOWS WERE NORMAL. ENG TEMPS WERE NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS IN IMC AND ACCUMULATING LIGHT RIME ICE ON THE AIRFRAME. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS MINUS 04 DEGS C. AT THIS POINT THE PLT NOTIFIED ATC OF THE SIT, DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN SELECTING AN ARPT. THE PLT WAS CLRED TO DSND TO FL110. MANIFOLD PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS CEASED BELOW FL110 BUT THE CABIN DEPRESSURIZED PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF A TURBOCHARGER FAILURE IN THE R ENG. THE PLT WAS GIVEN WX CONDITIONS AT BIL AND SHR. WX CONDITIONS AT SHR WERE WIND 260 AT 10 V8 8/7 SCATTERED 15 OVCST 24. THE PLT REQUESTED CLRNC TO SHERIDAN, WY (SHR) AND WAS IMMEDIATELY CLRED DIRECT TO THE SHR VOR. AT THE TIME OF THE CLRNC, THE ACFT WAS 35 NM FROM SHR. THE PLT WAS FURTHER CLRED TO FLY THE ILS RWY 32 APCH VIA THE SHR TRANSITION. THE PLT WAS CLRED TO FL100 PRIOR TO REACHING SHR. UPON REACHING THE SHR VOR, THE PLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO THE LCL ADVISORY FREQ. THE FULL APCH WAS FLOWN WITH AN OUTBOUND PROC TURN. THE GEAR WAS PUT DOWN AT THE OM. THE GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND ALL 3 GEAR WERE VISUALLY VERIFIED TO BE DOWN. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. TEACHING POINTS: 1) MGMNT OF GEAR PROB. 2) MGMNT OF ENG PROB. 3) SELECTION OF ALTERNATE ARPT FOR LNDG. 4) DECISION TO DECLARE AN EMER. 5) CRM DURING PREPARATION FOR APCH. 6) EXECUTION OF APCH.

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.