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C421 pilot climbing out of 7000 ft reports loud bang and complete power loss on right engine. Propeller is feathered and flight returns to departure airport for uneventful landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 813402 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200811 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Golden Eagle 421 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial ground : maintenance |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 3050 flight time type : 1050 |
| ASRS Report | 813402 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At 7000 ft for 10000 ft; heard loud bang from right engine; experienced yawing of aircraft to right. No smoke or fire. I radioed departure; requested lower altitude to regain VMC. ATC issued 270 degree heading; descend and maintain 4000 ft. I asked for a vector to the airport I departed from. ATC issued a 170 degree heading. I performed emergency checklist with no results; feathered and secured engine. I was then xferred to approach. ZZZ was VMC; I entered midfield crosswind for runway 25 and landed safely. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: post flight inspection revealed that the propeller could be turned without turning over the engine. Although the engine has not yet been torn down for inspection it is believed that the crankshaft has broken. If this is the case; the crankshaft was either damaged in some previous incident or had a manufacturing defect.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C421 PILOT CLIMBING OUT OF 7000 FT REPORTS LOUD BANG AND COMPLETE POWER LOSS ON RIGHT ENGINE. PROPELLER IS FEATHERED AND FLIGHT RETURNS TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT FOR UNEVENTFUL LANDING.
Narrative: AT 7000 FT FOR 10000 FT; HEARD LOUD BANG FROM R ENG; EXPERIENCED YAWING OF ACFT TO R. NO SMOKE OR FIRE. I RADIOED DEP; REQUESTED LOWER ALT TO REGAIN VMC. ATC ISSUED 270 DEG HDG; DSND AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. I ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO THE ARPT I DEPARTED FROM. ATC ISSUED A 170 DEG HDG. I PERFORMED EMER CHKLIST WITH NO RESULTS; FEATHERED AND SECURED ENG. I WAS THEN XFERRED TO APCH. ZZZ WAS VMC; I ENTERED MIDFIELD XWIND FOR RWY 25 AND LANDED SAFELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER COULD BE TURNED WITHOUT TURNING OVER THE ENGINE. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE HAS NOT YET BEEN TORN DOWN FOR INSPECTION IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAS BROKEN. IF THIS IS THE CASE; THE CRANKSHAFT WAS EITHER DAMAGED IN SOME PREVIOUS INCIDENT OR HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.