Narrative:

As we were completing the last flight scenario for the day we took off from rap and climbed to 6500 ft MSL (3000 ft AGL) to perform the engine out maneuver and restart for the mei add on rating. My instructor and I were at 6500 ft simulated our takeoff roll and climb out at 6700 ft MSL brought the mixture back to shut down the engine. After completing the bold face procedures and securing the engine my instructor and I attempted to restart the motor that was intentionally shut down. After running through the checklist we attempted to restart the motor and were unable to get the propeller to come out of feather and start. Once we decided we couldn't get the motor to restart we put the propeller back to feather and resecured the engine for an engine out landing. We returned to the airport with no problems and once we were clear of the runway we were able to restart the motor without any problems. After completing the lesson we debriefed our performance and decided there were 2 things that we should have done. 1) declare an emergency. We were close to the airport and knew we could make it; however the tower could have asked us to go around for any given reason and that would have been next to impossible in our aircraft. 2) when attempting to restart at altitude ensure that you lean the mixture out properly. We believe that this was the primary contributing factor to us not being able to restart the motor. One interesting note is that after reviewing the poh it mentions to lean the motor out for starting at high elevation airports; but where it describes engine out restarts at altitude it doesn't mention anything about 'high elevation' restarts. If this ever happens again we will remember that we are at a high altitude when we are trying to restart our motor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA30 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT INTENTIONALLY SHUT DOWN ENG FOR MULTI-ENG TRAINING PURPOSES. ENG FAILED TO RESTART AND PLTS RETURNED FOR SINGLE ENG LNDG.

Narrative: AS WE WERE COMPLETING THE LAST FLT SCENARIO FOR THE DAY WE TOOK OFF FROM RAP AND CLBED TO 6500 FT MSL (3000 FT AGL) TO PERFORM THE ENG OUT MANEUVER AND RESTART FOR THE MEI ADD ON RATING. MY INSTRUCTOR AND I WERE AT 6500 FT SIMULATED OUR TKOF ROLL AND CLBOUT AT 6700 FT MSL BROUGHT THE MIXTURE BACK TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG. AFTER COMPLETING THE BOLD FACE PROCS AND SECURING THE ENG MY INSTRUCTOR AND I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE MOTOR THAT WAS INTENTIONALLY SHUT DOWN. AFTER RUNNING THROUGH THE CHKLIST WE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE MOTOR AND WERE UNABLE TO GET THE PROP TO COME OUT OF FEATHER AND START. ONCE WE DECIDED WE COULDN'T GET THE MOTOR TO RESTART WE PUT THE PROP BACK TO FEATHER AND RESECURED THE ENG FOR AN ENG OUT LNDG. WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT WITH NO PROBS AND ONCE WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE MOTOR WITHOUT ANY PROBS. AFTER COMPLETING THE LESSON WE DEBRIEFED OUR PERFORMANCE AND DECIDED THERE WERE 2 THINGS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE. 1) DECLARE AN EMER. WE WERE CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND KNEW WE COULD MAKE IT; HOWEVER THE TWR COULD HAVE ASKED US TO GO AROUND FOR ANY GIVEN REASON AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE IN OUR ACFT. 2) WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART AT ALT ENSURE THAT YOU LEAN THE MIXTURE OUT PROPERLY. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO US NOT BEING ABLE TO RESTART THE MOTOR. ONE INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT AFTER REVIEWING THE POH IT MENTIONS TO LEAN THE MOTOR OUT FOR STARTING AT HIGH ELEVATION ARPTS; BUT WHERE IT DESCRIBES ENG OUT RESTARTS AT ALT IT DOESN'T MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT 'HIGH ELEVATION' RESTARTS. IF THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN WE WILL REMEMBER THAT WE ARE AT A HIGH ALT WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO RESTART OUR MOTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.