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PA-23 suffers induction icing and a subsequent failure of the automatic alternate air function and loses engine power.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 263331 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199402 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gdm |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mlu |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zbw |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 263331 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Beginning descent from 9000 ft MSL VMC to 5000 ft MSL IMC in snow showers. Lost left throttle control of engine. Engine was developing intermediate power but would not accelerate or decelerate, aircraft was 1974 PA-23 aztec (turbo). Right engine ok. Continued descent to 3100 ft MSL (MEA) toward gardner VOR. Upon reaching 3100 ft MSL encountered marginal VFR conditions and continued descent to 2800 ft MSL and turned northwest toward destination airport (0b5) turners falls, while requesting vector from ZBW for nearest airport. Received vector for orange airport (ore) 3 mi north of position from ZBW. Turning base at orange in VMC conditions, recovered control of left engine power (normal control). Landed without further incident. After landing, and mechanic inspected aircraft and engines and fuel system without finding cause for throttle control loss, returned to home airport north VMC with no further problems. Suspect induction icing in left engine during mc flight and automatic alternate air feature failure which is very incipient causing pilot to use manual alternate air to keep engines running properly. Recommendation: open manual alternate air controls on PA-23 always prior to entering known or suspected icing conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA-23 SUFFERS INDUCTION ICING AND A SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE AUTOMATIC ALTERNATE AIR FUNCTION AND LOSES ENG PWR.
Narrative: BEGINNING DSCNT FROM 9000 FT MSL VMC TO 5000 FT MSL IMC IN SNOW SHOWERS. LOST L THROTTLE CTL OF ENG. ENG WAS DEVELOPING INTERMEDIATE PWR BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE, ACFT WAS 1974 PA-23 AZTEC (TURBO). R ENG OK. CONTINUED DSCNT TO 3100 FT MSL (MEA) TOWARD GARDNER VOR. UPON REACHING 3100 FT MSL ENCOUNTERED MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS AND CONTINUED DSCNT TO 2800 FT MSL AND TURNED NW TOWARD DEST ARPT (0B5) TURNERS FALLS, WHILE REQUESTING VECTOR FROM ZBW FOR NEAREST ARPT. RECEIVED VECTOR FOR ORANGE ARPT (ORE) 3 MI N OF POS FROM ZBW. TURNING BASE AT ORANGE IN VMC CONDITIONS, RECOVERED CTL OF L ENG PWR (NORMAL CTL). LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, AND MECH INSPECTED ACFT AND ENGS AND FUEL SYS WITHOUT FINDING CAUSE FOR THROTTLE CTL LOSS, RETURNED TO HOME ARPT N VMC WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. SUSPECT INDUCTION ICING IN L ENG DURING MC FLT AND AUTOMATIC ALTERNATE AIR FEATURE FAILURE WHICH IS VERY INCIPIENT CAUSING PLT TO USE MANUAL ALTERNATE AIR TO KEEP ENGS RUNNING PROPERLY. RECOMMENDATION: OPEN MANUAL ALTERNATE AIR CTLS ON PA-23 ALWAYS PRIOR TO ENTERING KNOWN OR SUSPECTED ICING CONDITIONS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.