20090927052549I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-310 · Valentine, NE · September 27, 2009

Date
September 27, 2009 · 11:00 local
Place
Valentine, NE
Airport
Miller Field
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
HVIA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N27349
Reported as
Piper PA-31-310
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
2,204 total535 in this make and model47 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.

On September 27, 2009, Piper PA-31-310, N27349, s/n 31-7712087 operated by valley airways, inc., was flying a charter from millard airport (kmle), in omaha, Nebraska, to the chadron airport (kcdr), in chadron, Nebraska, with a planned fuel stop at evelyn sharp field (kodx), in ord, Nebraska. The PIC had a total of 6 passengers on board the chartered aircraft. The first leg of the trip was uneventful with a landing in kodx for the planned fuel stop. After refueling the aircraft, the PIC departed kodx on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, on the last leg of the trip to kcdr. While enroute to kcdr, at a cruise altitude of 8000 feet MSL, the PIC switched the fuel tanks from the right and left outboard tanks to the right and left inboard tanks on both engines. The right fuel flow annunciator illuminated and after 30-45 seconds, the right engine shut down and began to windmill. The PIC feathered the right engine and after switching the right engine back to the right outboard fuel tank; restarted the right engine. The PIC then switched the right engine back to the right inboard fuel tank and after 30-45 seconds, the engine shut down again and windmilled for a second time. The PIC then switched the right engine back to the right outboard fuel tank to restore power to the right engine. The PIC then diverted the airplane to Miller Field (kvtn), Valentine, Nebraska. The PIC continued to run the right engine on the right outboard fuel tank for 10 minutes until the fuel tank was exhausted and the right engine shut down and windmilled for the third time on the flight. The PIC feathered the right engine and continued to kvtn using the operative left engine. The PIC performed a single engine approach and landing at kvtn. The aircraft was not damaged during the landing and no passengers or airport property were harmed.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2009, PIPER PA-31-310, N27349, S/N 31-7712087 OPERATED BY VALLEY AIRWAYS, INC., WAS FLYING A CHARTER FROM MILLARD AIRPORT (KMLE), IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA, TO THE CHADRON AIRPORT (KCDR), IN CHADRON, NEBRASKA, WITH A PLANNED FUEL STOP AT EVELYN SHARP FIELD (KODX), IN ORD, NEBRASKA. THE PIC HAD A TOTAL OF 6 PASSENGERS ON BOARD THE CHARTERED AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST LEG OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH A LANDING IN KODX FOR THE PLANNED FUEL STOP. AFTER REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PIC DEPARTED KODX ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT, ON THE LAST LEG OF THE TRIP TO KCDR. WHILE ENROUTE TO KCDR, AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 8000 FEET MSL, THE PIC SWITCHED THE FUEL TANKS FROM THE RIGHT AND LEFT OUTBOARD TANKS TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT INBOARD TANKS ON BOTH ENGINES. THE RIGHT FUEL FLOW ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED AND AFTER 30-45 SECONDS, THE RIGHT ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND BEGAN TO WINDMILL. THE PIC FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE AND AFTER SWITCHING THE RIGHT ENGINE BACK TO THE RIGHT OUTBOARD FUEL TANK; RESTARTED THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PIC THEN SWITCHED THE RIGHT ENGINE BACK TO THE RIGHT INBOARD FUEL TANK AND AFTER 30-45 SECONDS, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AGAIN AND WINDMILLED FOR A SECOND TIME. THE PIC THEN SWITCHED THE RIGHT ENGINE BACK TO THE RIGHT OUTBOARD FUEL TANK TO RESTORE POWER TO THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PIC THEN DIVERTED THE AIRPLANE TO MILLER FIELD (KVTN), VALENTINE, NEBRASKA. THE PIC CONTINUED TO RUN THE RIGHT ENGINE ON THE RIGHT OUTBOARD FUEL TANK FOR 10 MINUTES UNTIL THE FUEL TANK WAS EXHAUSTED AND THE RIGHT ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND WINDMILLED FOR THE THIRD TIME ON THE FLIGHT. THE PIC FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE AND CONTINUED TO KVTN USING THE OPERATIVE LEFT ENGINE. THE PIC PERFORMED A SINGLE ENGINE APPROACH AND LANDING AT KVTN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING THE LANDING AND NO PASSENGERS OR AIRPORT PROPERTY WERE HARMED.

Other reports on N27349 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.