SMT HAS ENG FAILURE ON LIFTOFF; VEERS TO R. LANDS ON GRASS PARALLEL TO RWY.

Narrative

AFTER A NORMAL TAXI AND RUNUP; I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON THE ACTIVE RWY 17. THE TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL WITH NO INDICATION OF A MALFUNCTION; THE SMT WAS TRACKING IN A STRAIGHT LINE DOWN THE RWY WITH ALL GAUGES INDICATING NORMAL. AFTER ROTATION THE ACFT CLBED TO APPROX 20 FT; AT WHICH TIME IT YAWED HARD TO THE R; MOVING TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY; OVERFLYING A FRESHLY MOWN GRASS SECTION ABOUT 100 FT WIDE. I WAS USING FULL L RUDDER AND L AILERON TO KEEP THE ACFT STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. MY SON; SITTING IN THE R FRONT SEAT CALLED OUT 'WE'VE LOST AN ENG!' I TRIED TO MOVE BACK TO THE RWY; HOWEVER I COULD NOT STEER THE CRAFT. WITH THE CLOSE PROX TO THE GND AND DETERIORATING AIRSPD I MADE THE DECISION TO CUT PWR ON BOTH ENGS AND LAND PARALLEL TO THE RWY; ON THE MOWN GRASS. WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM TO LAND SAFELY AND THE GND LOOKED SMOOTH. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL WITH A SLIGHT BOUNCE. THE ACFT ROLLED PARALLEL TO THE RWY FOR ABOUT 300 FT UNTIL THE R MAIN GEAR ENTERED AN AREA OF SOFT; MUDDY SOIL. THE LOAD ON THE R MAIN GEAR CAUSED THE GEAR TO FAIL AND THE ACFT DROPPED ON THE R WING; CONTINUING TO SLIDE DOWN THE GRASS AND MAKING A SLOW TURN TO THE R COMING TO REST AT THE EDGE OF THE GRASS AND PUSHING UP AGAINST LOW BRUSH. THE NEXT DAY MY SON AND I DISCUSSED THE CHAIN OF EVENTS DURING THE TKOF AND LOSS OF THE R ENG. SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION; MY SON NOTICED AN AUDIBLE CHANGE IN THE R ENG; AND A FLUCTUATION OF THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE ON THE R ENG; WITH THE INDICATOR DROPPING ALMOST TO ZERO PRESSURE AND MOVING ERRATICALLY; NEVER SHOWING A PRESSURE EQUAL TO THE L ENG. I HAVE CONTACTED AN ACFT MECH AND WAS TOLD THAT I PROBABLY LOST THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP RESULTING IN FUEL STARVATION AND TOTAL LOSS OF PWR. I BELIEVE THAT THE FUEL SYS ON THE SMT FALLS SHORT OF SAFE. THE FUEL CELLS ARE BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE ENGS AND ONLY THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP CAN BE USED TO DELIVER FUEL PRESSURE TO THE FUEL INJECTION SYS ON TKOF. THE FAILURE AT THE LOW AIRSPD AND CLOSE PROX TO THE GND LEFT NO TIME TO ANALYZE THE PROBLEM AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. A BACKUP ELECTRIC PUMP IS PART OF THE FUEL SYS; HOWEVER IT CANNOT BE USED DURING TKOF FOR IT OVER PRESSURIZES THE SYS AND CAN CAUSE ENG FAILURE OR AN ENG FIRE. THE FUEL SYS SHOULD BE REDESIGNED TO ALLOW FOR THE USE OF THE ELECTRIC AND THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS DURING TKOF AND SHOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL A SAFE ALT IS ATTAINED. AT THIS TIME THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP COULD BE TURNED OFF AND USED AS A BACKUP SYS.