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20141218022729I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 421B · Kiritimati · December 18, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
December 18, 2014 · 12:12 local
Place
Kiritimati
Airport
Cassidy International Airport
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N21WT
Reported as
Cessna 421B
Reported engine
Continental GTSIO-520-H
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
2,200 total216 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days
N21WTRegistration cancelled Jul 11, 2023 · Cessna 421BS/N 421B0486 · Built 1973Airframe modelCessna 421BEngine modelContinental GTSIO-520-CReciprocating

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 18, 2012, N21WT was being operated on a special flight permit for overweight condition, and had departed from Kiritimati, kiribati (plch) for honolulu, hi (phnl).

The aircraft was approximately an hour into the flight, cruising at an altitude of 8000FT, when the pilot noticed the right engine RPM and manifold pressure starting to fluctuate. Within a few minutes of the RPM and manifold pressure fluctuating, the pilot observed smoke starting to emanate from the right engine as well.

At this point the pilot who was monitoring the right engine gauges, observed the right engine oil pressure starting to decrease. The pilot then made the decision to comply with the emergency procedures for shutting down the engine. He secured the engine, feathered the propeller, and closed the fuel valve to the right engine.

While accomplishing the emergency procedures for engine out, the aircraft descended to an altitude of approximately 300FT for the return flight to plch. At this time the pilot declared an emergency and was able to jettison fuel from the aircraft via the left fuel tank vent system and climb very slowly to an altitude of approximately 1300FT before his approach to plch.

Aircraft landed without further incident back on Kiritimati.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 18, 2012, N21WT WAS BEING OPERATED ON A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT FOR OVERWEIGHT CONDITION, AND HAD DEPARTED FROM KIRITIMATI, KIRIBATI (PLCH) FOR HONOLULU, HI (PHNL).

THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, CRUISING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 8000FT, WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THE RIGHT ENGINE RPM AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE STARTING TO FLUCTUATE. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF THE RPM AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE FLUCTUATING, THE PILOT OBSERVED SMOKE STARTING TO EMANATE FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE AS WELL.

AT THIS POINT THE PILOT WHO WAS MONITORING THE RIGHT ENGINE GAUGES, OBSERVED THE RIGHT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE STARTING TO DECREASE. THE PILOT THEN MADE THE DECISION TO COMPLY WITH THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. HE SECURED THE ENGINE, FEATHERED THE PROPELLER, AND CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE.

WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR ENGINE OUT, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300FT FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT TO PLCH. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WAS ABLE TO JETTISON FUEL FROM THE AIRCRAFT VIA THE LEFT FUEL TANK VENT SYSTEM AND CLIMB VERY SLOWLY TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1300FT BEFORE HIS APPROACH TO PLCH.

AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT BACK ON KIRITIMATI.