C402 PLT HAD A DOUBLE ENG FAILURE. HE MADE EMER FORCED LNDG ON A HWY.
Synopsis
C402 PLT HAD A DOUBLE ENG FAILURE. HE MADE EMER FORCED LNDG ON A HWY.
Narrative
402C -- EMER LNDG. ON JUN/TUE/98; PLT PREFLTED ACFT IN PREPARATION FOR A 30-45 MIN FLT WITH AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN (ALSO A PLT) TO CHK THE AUTOPLT AND RADAR THAT WAS RECENTLY REPAIRED. DURING PREFLT IT WAS DISCOVERED AND NOTED THAT THERE WERE APPROX 65 GALS OF FUEL IN THE R TANK AND 25 GALS OF FUEL IN THE L TANK. THE FLT WAS PLANNED FOR 30-45 MINS; WHICH WOULD CONSUME 16-25 GALS. AFTER A NORMAL TKOF; DURING A CLB TO 4500 FT IN CONTACT WITH ZMA; THE PLT SWITCHED THE L FUEL SELECTOR TO THE R TANK (XFEED) TO 'EVEN THE FUEL' QUANTITY. FLT CONTINUED TO 4500 FT AND THE AVIONICS CHK WAS COMPLETED WITHIN 20- 25 MINS. ATC WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE READY TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. PLT WAS GIVEN A VECTOR OF '90 DEGS; AND DSND TO 2000 FT' SO THAT A 'CITATION COULD PASS OVERHEAD.' SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OUT AT 2000 FT AND APPROX 10 MI FROM THE ARPT; THE ENGS STARTED TO 'SURGE' AND WERE NOT RESPONSIVE TO CTL IN THE COCKPIT. THE ACFT STARTED LOSING ALT. THE PLT SWITCHED THE L FUEL CTL TO THE L TANK; AND THE ENG STILL SURGED (POSSIBLE AIR IN FUEL LINE) SO THE PLT RETURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE R TANK (SHOWING 60 GALS). THE ENGS WERE STILL SURGING AND THE ACFT HAD NOW DSNDED BELOW 1500 FT. THE L TANK WAS SHOWING 20 GALS; HOWEVER; AT THIS LOW ALT; THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY TIME LEFT TO CONTINUE SWITCHING FUEL SELECTORS. THE PLT INSTRUCTED THE AVIONICS TECHNICIAN TO 'HANDLE THE RADIOS' AS HE FOUND A PLACE TO EFFECT AN 'EMER LNDG.' 2 MI AHEAD THERE WAS A 4 LANE DIVIDED INTERSTATE WITH LIGHT TFC. THE PLT LANDED THE ACFT ON THE INTERSTATE BTWN 2 TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCKS WITH THE FLOW OF TFC; COMING TO A STOP IN THE MEDIAN. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; AND THE PLT AND AVIONICS TECHNICIAN WERE NOT HURT. AFTER INSPECTION AND INVESTIGATION; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS STUCK SHOWING 60 GALS OF FUEL IN THE TANK; WHEN IN REALITY THERE WAS 1-2 GALS OF FUEL REMAINING. TO PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE OF THIS SIT THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO VISUALLY VERIFY THE QUANTITY OF FUEL IN A PARTIALLY FILLED FUEL TANK.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.