INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN - THE PLTS OF THIS LIGHT TWIN DIVERT FOR A SAFE LNDG AFTER AN ENG FAILURE.

Narrative

AFTER DEP FROM (MCO) AND LEVEL AT 3000 FT MSL WE BAGAN TO ENCOUNTER ENG PROBS. WE WERE FLYING A PIPER SEMINOLE PA44-180 RENTED FROM AN FBO IN TITUSVILLE; FL. THE ACFT WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY A TRAINING CTR. OUR LOCATION WAS APPROX 10 MI E OF MCO. WE FIRST RECEIVED VACUUM WARNING LIGHT WHICH WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LOSS OF VACUUM PRESSURE IN THE L ENG. APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER THE L ENG OIL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH THE L OIL PRESSURE GAUGE FALLING. IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE LOOSING OIL PRESSURE. WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF THE INDICATION THE L ENG BEGAN TO SHUTTER THE ACFT. AFTER APPROX 20 SECONDS OF SHUTTERING THE ENG WENT TO FEATHER AND COMPLETELY STOPPED. AT THIS POINT WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROPER EMER CHKLISTS; BUT HAD NOT FEATHERED THE L ENG. WE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ATC (ORLANDO DEP) THAT WE WERE ENCOUNTERING ENG PROBS AND THAT WE WERE REQUESTING TO LAND AT THE CLOSEST ARPT. WITH THE ENG FEATHERED WE WERE HOLDING ALT WITH NOMINAL SINGLE ENG PERFORMANCE. THE PNF AND I BOTH MEI QUALIFIED REALLY WORKED WELL TOGETHER. THE FLT ENDED WITH A SAFE LNDG AT TITUSVILLE ARPT. I WAS THE PF AND THE PNF THEREFORE EXECUTED THE RADIO CALLS AND CHKLISTS FOR EMER CONTINGENCIES ON APCH AND LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS SURPRISED THAT A FAIRLY LOW TIME ENG WOULD FAIL AS THIS ONE DID. HE SAID THAT IT WAS A NORMALLY ASPIRATED (NON TURBO) ENG THAT HAS BEEN RELIABLE IN THE PAST. HE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FAULTY OR COUNTERFEIT PARTS BEING USED IN ITS LAST OVERHAUL; BUT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO CHK TO SOMETHING SUCH AS THAT. THE RPTR SAYS THAT THE FAA INTERVIEWED HIM AND THE OTHER PLT AS A ROUTINE MATTER AND THERE WAS NO ACTIONS PENDING.