SMT HAS ENG SEIZURE OVER LAKE ERIE; PLT REVERSES COURSE AND LANDS AT ALTERNATE ARPT; ALL WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER.

Narrative

AT XX55 AM ON AUG/XX/96; 10 MINS AFTER LEAVING FROM MY HOME ARPT; I WAS LEVELING AT AN ALT OF 8000 FT OVER THE BUFFALO ARSA HEADING W OVER LAKE ERIE; WHEN THE R ENG OF THE PLANE STOPPED PRODUCING PWR. IN THE PROCESS OF SECURING THE PROB ENG; THE PROP QUIT ROTATING; THUS I WAS UNABLE TO FEATHER THE BLADES. ALSO I WAS UNABLE TO FEATHER WITH EITHER THE STARTER OR AIRSPD. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND HEADING DOWN LAKE ERIE. I THEREFORE MADE A 180 DEG TURN (EXACT COURSE REVERSAL) AND NOW LEVEL AT 7000 FT (LAST ASSIGNED ALT WAS 8000 FT). BUFFALO ATC REQUESTED AN EXPLANATION. I EXPLAINED THAT I NEEDED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY; BUT THERE WAS NO EMER. MY HOME BASE 01G WAS 28 NM AWAY; BUT ONLY 3400 FT IN LENGTH. THE FAMILIAR ALTERNATIVE GVQ WAS 20 NM AWAY; 4400 FT IN LENGTH AND HAS ILS INTO PREVAILING WIND; WHICH I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN. I WAS ALSO GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN ON THE GND. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG I SECURED THE ACFT AND BEFORE I COULD BE CONNECTED TO THE FAA; THE FAA SUPVR; FSDO; WAS ON THE OTHER PHONE. THE DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWED INCLUDED THE COURSE REVERSAL AND LOSS OF 1000 FT IN ALT WITHOUT NOTIFYING ATC FOR PERMISSION. FSDO STATED THAT I WAS OVER THE 'BANG AREA' WHERE RADAR WAS NOT EFFECTIVE AND THEY DID NOT NOTICE ME UNTIL I WAS AGAIN IN RADAR AT 7000 FT AND IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HE ALSO FELT THAT I MADE A POOR CHOICE IN NOT CALLING FOR AN EMER AND LNDG AT BUFFALO. MY EXPLANATION WAS AS FOLLOWS. CONDITIONS WERE IMC HEADING OVER LAKE ERIE. I SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME ATTEMPTING TO FEATHER THE INOP ENG. I WAS UNABLE TO HOLD ALT (LOSING 200-300 FPM) AND I FELT MORE COMFORTABLE LNDG AT A FAMILIAR ARPT AT GENESEE COUNTY (I'VE NEVER LANDED IN BUFFALO). ALSO NOTE THAT EVERY YR FOR THE PAST 13 YRS; I HAVE ATTENDED A BEECHCRAFT SPONSORED AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 3-DAY PLT PROFICIENCY COURSE. OF THE 5-6 HRS OF ACTUAL FLYING DURING THESE COURSES; MORE THAN HALF OF THE TIME IS SPENT ON ALL TYPES OF MANEUVERS (INST APCHS; UNUSUAL ALTS; CLBS; STEEP TURNS; LNDG; ETC) USING ONLY A SINGLE ENG. THUS; I WAS VERY PREPARED TO HANDLE AN ACTUAL ENG OUT LNDG; ALTHOUGH THE INABILITY TO FEATHER AND MAINTAIN ALT CAUSED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE. FSDO REVIEWED THE SIT WITH THE TWR MGR AND STATED THAT I WAS WRONG FOR NOT DECLARING AN EMER IMMEDIATELY; I WAS WRONG IN CHANGING DIRECTION AND ALT WITHOUT PERMISSION; AND I WAS FOOLISH FOR NOT USING BUFFALO EMER SVCS. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE PROB WOULD NOT BE RPTED AND WOULD BE KEPT BTWN US. I AGREED WITH FSDO ON ALL POINTS. MY TRAINING HAS TAUGHT ME TO: 1) FLY THE AIRPLANE; 2) ATTEND TO THE PROB; AND 3) THEN COMMUNICATE. ALL OF WHICH I DID; IN THE CORRECT ORDER; AS I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ATC OF THE PROB; REQUESTED A CHANGE IN DIRECTION AND OF THE ALT LOSS; IMMEDIATELY OR DURING THE TIME I WAS SECURING THE ENG; AND NOT WAITED TO DO THIS UNTIL LAST. UPON INVESTIGATION; THE ENG HAS A BROKEN CRANK SHAFT; THUS THE PROP COULD NOT ROTATE TO FEATHER. THE FACTORY REMANUFACTURED ENG WAS AT LESS THAN TBO TIME. CHANGES INTERVALS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED EVERY 25-30 HRS AND AN OIL SAMPLE ANALYSIS SYS WAS USED SINCE THE ENG WAS NEW; WHICH INDICATED ONLY NORMAL WEAR.