A PA 34 PLT ON A NIGHT FLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEST AFTER LOOSING 1 OF 2 ENGS.
Synopsis
A PA 34 PLT ON A NIGHT FLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEST AFTER LOOSING 1 OF 2 ENGS.
Narrative
ON AUGUST TUE; 2001; I WAS PLT IN COMMAND OF A PIPER SENECA II ON A PLEASURE TRIP ENRTE FROM PAGE; ARIZONA TO EL MONTE; CALIFORNIA. ALL APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL AFTER DAGGET VOR (APPROX 2 HRS INTO THE FLT); THE R ENG BEGAN LOOSING MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ALL GAUGES WERE WITHIN NORMAL OPING LIMITS. I ASSUMED A WASTEGATE TYPE FAILURE; AND CONTINUED THE FLT. AT APPROX XA00 LCL TIME; JUST N OF RIALTO; CA THE ENG OIL LIGHT CAME ON. IT DID NOT REGAIN OIL PRESSURE; SO I SHUT DOWN THIS ENG. ONCE THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE PROPELLER FEATHERED; I CONTACTED SOCAL APP; INFORMED THEM WHO I WAS; WHERE I WAS; THAT I HAD LOST MY R ENG; AND THAT I WAS PROCEEDING TO EL MONTE; CA ON ONE ENG. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE; RADAR IDENTIFIED ME; ASKED ME FUEL ON BOARD; AND NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD. I INFORMED THEM THAT THERE WERE 6 PERSONS ON BOARD; AND OF THE FUEL REMAINING. FROM HERE ON IN; SOCAL APP POINTED OUT CABLE AND BRACKETT ARPTS RELATIVE TO MY POSITION; AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE TO LAND AT EITHER ONE. I DECLINED; AND TOLD THEM THAT BASED ON MY ALT; THAT I WOULD PROCEED DIRECTLY TO EL MONTE. THEY ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; AND IF I WOULD LIKE RADAR VECTORS. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND DID NOT NEED RADAR VECTORS AT THAT TIME. AT APPROX THE SANTA FE DAM (5 MI NE OF EL MONTE ARPT) SOCAL APP WAS LOOSING RADAR COVERAGE ON ME; TOLD ME THAT RADAR SERVICES WERE TERMINATED; AND TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD MONITOR THE CTAF FREQ UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND TXWY. EL MONTE FIRE DEPT AND THE EL MONTE POLICE DEPT WERE THERE WHEN I ARR. MR X OF EL MONTE ARPT OPS SHOWED UP SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ACTUAL CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED. ALTHOUGH THE CAUSE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION; THE PISTON IN THE #4 CYLINDER FAILED; AND CAUSED A LOSS OF ENG OIL THROUGH THE BREATHER; AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. THERE WERE REPORTEDLY ABOUT 3.5 QUARTS OF OIL IN THE ENG AFTER THIS INCIDENT. AS I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; RADAR VECTORS WERE NOT NEEDED; HOWEVER; LOW LEVEL RADAR IN THE AREA OF EL MONTE ARPT IS NOT AVAILABLE. THIS COULD BE VERY HELPFUL HAD IT BEEN NEEDED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.