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19960319007299I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Middletown, PA · March 19, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 19, 1996 · 18:45 local
Place
Middletown, PA
Airport
Harrisburg International Airport-Olmsted
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N318TK
Reported as
Cessna 421C
Reported engine
Continental GTSIO520C
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,850 total200 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on March 19, 1996, at approximately 1600 hours, N318TK departed (isz) cincinatti, OH, enroute to (mmu) morristown, NJ. The aircraft was flying at 5000' after a three hour flight, 20KM west of (etx) east Texas VOR, in light rain. A restart was attempted using a combination of alternate air, electric fuel pump, switching fuel tanks and adjusting mixture setting. The engine did restart, but as the throttle advanced the popping sound reappeared. At this point the weather was deteriorating rapidly and severe turbulence was encountered. The RH engine was shut down and propeller feathered. ATC advised that the nearest airport was (MDT) Middletown. The decision was made to declare an emergency and turn back to MDT. While shooting the ILS for landing, the landing gear was lowered and an unsafe condition appeared on the left main gear. The gear was cycled one time with the same response. With one engine out and severe weather conditions, the pilot elected to utilize the emergency blowdown system. Evaluation by mechanic steve vandervalk revealed a broken fuel line at the fuel flow divider valve. The aircraft was repaired and ferried, gear down, to home base for hyd. System purge. This incident is considered closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 19, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS, N318TK DEPARTED (ISZ) CINCINATTI, OH, ENROUTE TO (MMU) MORRISTOWN, NJ. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT 5000' AFTER A THREE HOUR FLIGHT, 20KM WEST OF (ETX) EAST TEXAS VOR, IN LIGHT RAIN. A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED USING A COMBINATION OF ALTERNATE AIR, ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, SWITCHING FUEL TANKS AND ADJUSTING MIXTURE SETTING. THE ENGINE DID RESTART, BUT AS THE THROTTLE ADVANCED THE POPPING SOUND REAPPEARED. AT THIS POINT THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY AND SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE RH ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND PROPELLER FEATHERED. ATC ADVISED THAT THE NEAREST AIRPORT WAS (MDT) MIDDLETOWN. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND TURN BACK TO MDT. WHILE SHOOTING THE ILS FOR LANDING, THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED AND AN UNSAFE CONDITION APPEARED ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE GEAR WAS CYCLED ONE TIME WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. WITH ONE ENGINE OUT AND SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT ELECTED TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BLOWDOWN SYSTEM. EVALUATION BY MECHANIC STEVE VANDERVALK REVEALED A BROKEN FUEL LINE AT THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER VALVE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED AND FERRIED, GEAR DOWN, TO HOME BASE FOR HYD. SYSTEM PURGE. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.