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20101202054569I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Provo, UT · December 2, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 2, 2010 · 23:00 local
Place
Provo, UT
Airport
Provo Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N421CX
Reported as
Cessna 421C
Reported engine
Continental GTSIO-520 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,700 total600 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N421CXRegistered now · Cessna 421CS/N 421C0694 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna 421CEngine modelContinental GTSIO-520 seriesTurbo-prop

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 December 2, 2010 at approximately 1100 pm local, N421CX, a Cessna 421C, experienced a loss of power on the left engine while enroute from salt lake city, UT (slc) to centinial airport (apa) in denver, CO. The pilot was unable to restart so he secured the engine then diverted to Provo, UT (pvu). When the aircraft was four miles from the Provo airport, the right engine failed. The pilot did not secure the right hand engine leaving the propeller windmilling. When the aircraft was approximately two miles from the Provo airport, the right hand engine regained power. The pilot applied full throttle to the right engine and was able to land safely at Provo. When the power was reduced to land, the right hand engine failed a second time. Inspection of the aircraft found that the left hand fuel pump high pressure adjustment screw was stripped allowing the aneroid to move causing an excessively rich mixture and subsequent loss of power. Inspection also found that the low side of the right hand fuel pressure was below the manufacturer limit. This may have resulted in insufficient fuel being supplied to the engine when the right hand throttle was retarted. The second failure of the right hand engine was most likely caused by an excessively rich mixture due to the fuel pump being set to "high" when the engine failed the first time.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 2, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 PM LOCAL, N421CX, A CESSNA 421C, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE WHILE ENROUTE FROM SALT LAKE CITY, UT (SLC) TO CENTINIAL AIRPORT (APA) IN DENVER, CO. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART SO HE SECURED THE ENGINE THEN DIVERTED TO PROVO, UT (PVU). WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUR MILES FROM THE PROVO AIRPORT, THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT DID NOT SECURE THE RIGHT HAND ENGINE LEAVING THE PROPELLER WINDMILLING. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES FROM THE PROVO AIRPORT, THE RIGHT HAND ENGINE REGAINED POWER. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL THROTTLE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE AND WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY AT PROVO. WHEN THE POWER WAS REDUCED TO LAND, THE RIGHT HAND ENGINE FAILED A SECOND TIME.INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND THAT THE LEFT HAND FUEL PUMP HIGH PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT SCREW WAS STRIPPED ALLOWING THE ANEROID TO MOVE CAUSING AN EXCESSIVELY RICH MIXTURE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER.INSPECTION ALSO FOUND THAT THE LOW SIDE OF THE RIGHT HAND FUEL PRESSURE WAS BELOW THE MANUFACTURER LIMIT. THIS MAY HAVE RESULTED IN INSUFFICIENT FUEL BEING SUPPLIED TO THE ENGINE WHEN THE RIGHT HAND THROTTLE WAS RETARTED. THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE RIGHT HAND ENGINE WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY AN EXCESSIVELY RICH MIXTURE DUE TO THE FUEL PUMP BEING SET TO "HIGH" WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED THE FIRST TIME.