AN SMA ON AN INST TRAINING FLT EXPERIENCED PARTIAL ENG FAILURES AND PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

Date: 1992-09 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude

Synopsis

AN SMA ON AN INST TRAINING FLT EXPERIENCED PARTIAL ENG FAILURES AND PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

Narrative

CRUISING AT 9000 FT MSL WE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE; BOTH THE FRONT AND THE REAR ENG. BOTH ENGS SEEMED TO BE SURGING FOR FUEL. THE PLT IMMEDIATELY HIT THE FUEL PUMPS WHILE I; BEING THE SAFETY PLT; MADE SURE THE MIXTURE CTLS WERE SET TO FULL RICH. WE MADE SURE THE ENGS WERE GETTING FUEL FROM THE MAIN TANKS WHICH BOTH HAD APPROX 30 GALLONS OF FUEL. ENG PWR WAS RESTORED ALTHOUGH BOTH ENGS SEEMED TO RUN 'ROUGH.' THE PLT THEN TOLD ME TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WHILE HE CARRIED OUT THE EMER CHKLIST AS PUBLISHED. HE THEN REQUESTED 7000 FT. ATC CLRED US TO 7000 FT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT WE EXPERIENCED A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE. 3 MI N OF FT WAYNE WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR INTENTIONS TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT FWA. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 23. PRIOR TO LNDG CLRNC; WE INADVERTENTLY LOST 500 FT ALT. THIS BECAUSE WE WERE BOTH DISTR BY THE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL FAILURES WE EXPERIENCED. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TWIN SMA AND POOR COCKPIT MGMNT. ONE PLT SHOULD HAVE CONCENTRATED ENTIRELY ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHILE THE OTHER SHOULD HAVE READ THE EMER CHKLIST AND CARRIED OUT THE PUBLISHED PROCS. PROBABLE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN PLUGGED VENTS IN TANKS OR PLUGGED FUEL LINES? ELECTRICAL FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN INTERNAL SHORT IN THE BATTERY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 221184. ONE PLT SHOULD BE FLYING AIRPLANE WHILE OTHER DEAL WITH PROBLEMS ON A PRIORITY BASIS. IN THIS CASE; THE PF WAS DISTRACTED BY THE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. WAS ABLE TO GET GEAR HYD DOWN BUT DOORS NEVER RETRACTED. CAUSE WAS A BAD BATTERY OVERHEATED AND RESTR FUEL SYS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.