A C310 PLT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE WHILE CRUISING AT 8000 FT. DUE TO A FOREIGN OBJECT OBSTRUCTING THE FUEL SELECTOR.

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I WAS AT A CRUISE ALT OF 8000 FT MSL OVER SE OHIO. AT THIS TIME I WAS OPERATING ON THE AUX TANKS. IT WASN'T MORE THAN A FEW MINS LATER; WITH THE AUX FUEL GAUGE READING 90 LBS PER SIDE THAT THE L ENG SPUTTERED THEN DIED. MY SON POINTED TO THE L FUEL FLOW NEEDLE READING NO FLOW AND REMARKED 'WE LOST THE ENG.' I IMMEDIATELY PUT BOTH MIXTURES AT FULL FORWARD AND SELECTED THE MAIN TANKS ON BOTH FUEL SELECTORS. NO RESPONSE ON THE L ENG. I THEN TRIED THE STARTER BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THEN; THINKING IT MIGHT BE THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP; PLACED THE AUX FUEL PUMP SWITCH IN HIGH POS; HIT THE STARTER BUTTON. STILL NO RESPONSE. IT WAS AT THIS TIME; I CALLED ATC AND INFORMED THEM OF THE LOSS OF AN ENG AND THAT I WOULD LIKE VECTORS TO THE NEAREST VFR ARPT ALONG WITH A DSCNT. I WAS THINKING THAT I WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME STAYING LEVEL AT A LOWER ALT THAN AT THE PRESENT 8000 FT MSL. THE CTLR GAVE ME VECTORS TO ROSS COUNTY ARPT; 11 O'CLOCK POS AND SOME 12 MI. AS WE DSNDED; HE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE AN EMER. I SAID; 'YEAH; JUST GIVE ME SOME VECTORS TO THE ARPT; EVERYTHING IS FINE.' AS WE CONTINUED TO DSND TO 4000 FT MSL AS INSTRUCTED; I DECIDED TO REVIEW ALL THE PROCS AGAIN. MIXTURES FULL RICH; FUEL PUMPS ON; THROTTLES FULL FORWARD AND WHEN I THEN RECHKED THE L FUEL SELECTOR MOVING IT FROM MAIN; BACK TO AUX POS; THEN BACK TO MAIN; IT BECAME HARD TO MOVE TOWARD THE MAIN TANK POS THIS TIME. WITH MY HANDS FULL (I WAS IMC NOW) I ASKED MY SON TO LOOK AT THE SELECTOR. ON INSPECTING THE SELECTOR HE FOUND A QUARTER (25 CENT PIECE) HAD SOMEHOW FALLEN INTO THE FUEL SELECTOR WELL AND HAD LODGED FLAT UNDER THE FUEL SELECTOR ARM; THUS PREVENTING THE ARM FROM FULLY DEPLOYING INTO THE MAIN DETENT POS. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS OF FIDDLING; HE DISLODGED THE QUARTER; PLACED THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE MAIN DETENT POS AND THE L ENG FIRED BACK TO LIFE. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT I WAS SWITCHED TO COLUMBUS APCH. HE GAVE ME A HDG TO 360 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING; I ASKED MY SON TO SWITCH THE L FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE AUX POS. I WANTED TO VERIFY THAT THE PROB WAS INDEED THE JAMMED FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH. SURE ENOUGH; WHEN HE SWITCH TO THE AUX INDICATOR; THE ENG DIED AND WHEN HE RESELECTED THE MAIN TANK AGAIN; THE ENG FIRED BACK TO LIFE. AT THIS TIME; I DECIDED ALL SYS WERE NORMAL AND INFORMED ATC THAT I HAD BOTH ENGS OPERATING; EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ON TO MY ORIGINAL DEST OF AUBURN; VIA ROSEWOOD VOR. HE THEN CLRED ME AS REQUESTED AND I PROCEEDED ACCORDINGLY. I CONTINUED ON TO AUBURN; SHOT THE VOR 9 APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT.