Narrative:

Shortly after liftoff and raising gear, the right engine appeared to have failed. Aircraft jerked to the right, airspeed deteriorated and it appeared automatic-feather had failed. I lowered nose to 121 KTS (vyse) and manually feathered the engine. We stabilized a single-engine climb at 600 FPM and made a return in the pattern. Copilot declared the problem to ATC, who cleared us for landing and advised they were rolling emergency trucks. In the downwind, I noticed the right throttle was near idle. I decided not to troubleshoot further (because we were stabilized) and risk worsening the situation. I also noticed the right engine was running fine with no abnormal gauge indications. On the ground after shutdown, we realized that the friction lock was not tight enough and the return spring had chopped the power to idle. I later found out other pilots had the same problem with the same airplane, though no one had ever mentioned it. Lessons learned: 1) ensure friction locks are snug, 2) have copilot guard the throttle levers to prevent this when PF raises the gear, thus removing his hand from the levers, 3) in the event of engine failure, ensure both levers are forward, particularly if the gear warning horn is activated (as it was in this case), 4) ensure all pilots operating aircraft with known safety related problems are well briefed on the particular aircraft's peculiarities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 CREW MISTAKENLY BELIEVES THEIR #2 ENG FAILED AFTER TKOF. ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, THE APPARENT LOSS WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE OF THE POWER LEVEL FRICTION LOCK.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF AND RAISING GEAR, THE R ENG APPEARED TO HAVE FAILED. ACFT JERKED TO THE R, AIRSPD DETERIORATED AND IT APPEARED AUTO-FEATHER HAD FAILED. I LOWERED NOSE TO 121 KTS (VYSE) AND MANUALLY FEATHERED THE ENG. WE STABILIZED A SINGLE-ENG CLB AT 600 FPM AND MADE A RETURN IN THE PATTERN. COPLT DECLARED THE PROB TO ATC, WHO CLRED US FOR LNDG AND ADVISED THEY WERE ROLLING EMER TRUCKS. IN THE DOWNWIND, I NOTICED THE R THROTTLE WAS NEAR IDLE. I DECIDED NOT TO TROUBLESHOOT FURTHER (BECAUSE WE WERE STABILIZED) AND RISK WORSENING THE SIT. I ALSO NOTICED THE R ENG WAS RUNNING FINE WITH NO ABNORMAL GAUGE INDICATIONS. ON THE GND AFTER SHUTDOWN, WE REALIZED THAT THE FRICTION LOCK WAS NOT TIGHT ENOUGH AND THE RETURN SPRING HAD CHOPPED THE PWR TO IDLE. I LATER FOUND OUT OTHER PLTS HAD THE SAME PROB WITH THE SAME AIRPLANE, THOUGH NO ONE HAD EVER MENTIONED IT. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) ENSURE FRICTION LOCKS ARE SNUG, 2) HAVE COPLT GUARD THE THROTTLE LEVERS TO PREVENT THIS WHEN PF RAISES THE GEAR, THUS REMOVING HIS HAND FROM THE LEVERS, 3) IN THE EVENT OF ENG FAILURE, ENSURE BOTH LEVERS ARE FORWARD, PARTICULARLY IF THE GEAR WARNING HORN IS ACTIVATED (AS IT WAS IN THIS CASE), 4) ENSURE ALL PLTS OPERATING ACFT WITH KNOWN SAFETY RELATED PROBS ARE WELL BRIEFED ON THE PARTICULAR ACFT'S PECULIARITIES.

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.