1998-11 · NASA ASRS report 420028
PA23 DIVERTS TO ALTERNATE ARPT WITH BROKEN FUEL SELECTOR IN ZNY AIRSPACE.
I WAS ON MY FIRST POST RATING; NO INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD; FERRY FLT TO GET THE HEATER FIXED. WE HAD DEPARTED LOCK HAVEN AFTER GETTING THE HEATER FIXED (THANK GOD). UPON REACHING CRUISING ALT OF 6500 FT MSL; I SWITCHED THE FUEL FROM THE MAINS TO THE AUXS. WHILE SWITCHING THE R ENG FUEL SELECTOR THROUGH THE OFF POS (I HATE THIS DESIGN); THE SELECTOR STARTED MOVING TOO EASILY. I MUTTERED 'UH OH' APPARENTLY LOUD ENOUGH THAT MY PLT NON-MULTI RATED FRIEND SITTING BESIDE ME HEARD IT. HE INQUIRED. IT HAD APPEARED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR SYS HAD BROKEN FOR THE R ENG. THE QUESTION 'HOW BAD IS THAT?' WAS ASKED. THE ANSWER: 'IT DEPENDS; IF IT BROKE IN THE OFF POS; WE WILL BE LOSING THE R ENG SHORTLY.' 5 MINS WENT BY AND I THOUGHT WE HAD IT MADE. 10 MINS WENT BY AND THE R ENG STARTED SURGING. THIS CAUSED A CTL PROB; NOT UNMANAGEABLE; BUT DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING WE HAD EXPERIENCED IN TRAINING. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BOTH ENGS BACK TO THE MAINS. I HAD PLANNED TO SWITCH BACK TO THE MAINS IN 5 MORE MINS ANYWAY; BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BURNED 3/4 OF THE FUEL FROM THE AUX TANKS. I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE RUN THE TANKS DRY AND THE L ENG WOULD BE DYING SOON. BACK ON THE MAINS THE R ENG REVIVED. 5 MINS LATER IT STARTED SURGING AGAIN. THIS TIME I TURNED ON THE XFEED AND NOW KNEW THE FUEL SELECTION HAD; IN FACT; BROKEN. I STARTED DOING A 180 DEG; BECAUSE WE HAD PASSED CHAMBERSBURG ARPT LESS THAN 5 MINS AGO. I HAD INSTRUCTED MY FRIEND TO GET ME THE BEARING; FREQ; AND ELEVATION OF THE ARPT. SHORTLY; HE RPTED BACK. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT ONLY TO FIND NO SVCS. YES; IT IS ON THE CHART; BUT I HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE AND THERE WAS AT LEAST FUEL. A CHK OF THE L TANKS VERIFIED THAT WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH HAGERSTOWN. SO WE DEPARTED RUNNING BOTH ENGS OFF THE L MAIN. I LANDED AT HAGERSTOWN AFTER GETTING PRIORITY HANDLING FROM THE TWR DUE TO UNKNOWN FUEL STATUS. I PROBABLY DID NOT NEED IT; BUT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE VECTORED AROUND AND RISK ANOTHER FAILURE. ONCE PARKED I TRIED TO GET A MECH. THEY HAD GONE HOME 15 MINS AGO. I PROBABLY COULD HAVE SNAGGED ONE IF WE HAD NOT STOPPED AT CHAMBERSBURG. I HAD CONSIDERED IT INITIALLY; BUT I THOUGHT HAGERSTOWN WAS FURTHER THAN IT REALLY WAS. THINKING THIS OVER LONG AND HARD; AND CONSIDERING DOING SOME REPAIR ON THE AIRPLANE MYSELF; I DECIDED WE COULD MAKE THE REMAINING 45 MIN FLT ON THE L MAIN TANK WITHOUT MESSING WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE OWNER WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY UPSET HAD I PULLED THE COWLING AND POSITIONED THE VALVE. THE L MAIN GAVE US 35 GALS USEABLE FOR 2 ENGS THAT WOULD BE BURNING 9 GPH. I WOULD USE HALF OF THE FUEL IN 1 TANK; LEAVING US WITH ABOUT 1 HR RESERVE. I HAD THE FUELER FILL THE L MAIN AND AUX TANKS AND FILL THE R MAIN FOR BALANCE. WE TOOK OFF AND HEADED FOR CULPEPER; OUR HOME BASE. THIS WAS DONE AT 10500 FT. I WAS NOW VERY GLAD THE HEATER WORKED. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THIS WERE: 1) I WAS AWARE THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN. 2) I REMAINED CALM AND FOCUSED. 3) THE PROB WAS RESOLVED QUICKLY AND ACCORDING TO THE CHKLISTS; BOTH TIMES. THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF THIS WAS MY DECISION TO LEAVE HAGERSTOWN AND CONTINUE TO CULPEPER; VA. HAD ANYTHING ELSE GONE WRONG I WOULD HAVE FACED LNDG THE PLANE ON A HWY IN THE DARK. I MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO MAKE SURE THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. I FLEW HIGH TO GIVE ME OPTIONS. THE ABSOLUTE SAFEST SOLUTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO STAY ON THE GND IN CHAMBERSBURG; BUT THERE WAS A DESIRE TO GET THE PLANE TO A PLACE IT COULD BE FIXED; AND THEN TO GET HOME. A LITTLE GET HOMEITIS WAS A FACTOR. WOULD I DO THAT AGAIN; PROBABLY NOT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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