Narrative:

Complete right engine failure, partial left engine failure resulting in an emergency landing in rhi, wi, in IMC and light rime ice conditions. Altitude 12000 ft MSL and temperature was minus 21 degrees C. Carburetor heat was applied before and during engine roughness with little result. The left engine regained full power about 700 to 1000 ft AGL. The air aloft seemed saturated. There was a leak in the moulding around the windshield and the air blowing in would turn to snow after entering the cockpit. We attempted to restart the right engine at least 12 times before feathering. Thanks to msp center, we were able to find an airport with high enough ceilings to land which was rhinelander, wi. As we approached the runway we lowered the gear and the right gear light gave an unsafe indication. We then recycled the gear and then got 'three greens' and landed safely. Considering that temperatures were so cold, we were wondering if anyone could shed some light on the subject, on if carburetor ice was a possible factor?? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has talked to a lot of people since the incident, both FAA, pilots and controllers. The local FSDO inspector believes that the problem was one of blocked fuel filters. The annual had been completed that very day. The aircraft was in the hangar. The FSDO rep feels that all fuel has some moisture in it even though the fuel was drained and checked. About 45 mins into the flight this moisture got cold enough to form ice and plugged the fuel filters. The engines did not just die, they slowly lost power, became rough and then died. This would tend to corroborate the theory. This was a rental aircraft, and reporter stated that while it is airworthy, it does have some things that are not up to PAR. One is the vent in the window on which the seal is broken. He has never seen anything like the snow forming once the dry air entered the aircraft. He also attributes the gear indicators as part of the general upkeep problem. The gear problem was not as bad as being in solid IMC down to about 300 ft AGL. Reporter is a multi engine instructor and was proficient in emergency procedures as that is what most of multi engine training consists of.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER SEMINOLE PLT HAS ENG SLOWLY LOSE PWR AND FAIL IN TOTAL IMC. DIVERTS AND LANDS.

Narrative: COMPLETE R ENG FAILURE, PARTIAL L ENG FAILURE RESULTING IN AN EMER LNDG IN RHI, WI, IN IMC AND LIGHT RIME ICE CONDITIONS. ALT 12000 FT MSL AND TEMP WAS MINUS 21 DEGS C. CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED BEFORE AND DURING ENG ROUGHNESS WITH LITTLE RESULT. THE L ENG REGAINED FULL PWR ABOUT 700 TO 1000 FT AGL. THE AIR ALOFT SEEMED SATURATED. THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE MOULDING AROUND THE WINDSHIELD AND THE AIR BLOWING IN WOULD TURN TO SNOW AFTER ENTERING THE COCKPIT. WE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE R ENG AT LEAST 12 TIMES BEFORE FEATHERING. THANKS TO MSP CTR, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND AN ARPT WITH HIGH ENOUGH CEILINGS TO LAND WHICH WAS RHINELANDER, WI. AS WE APCHED THE RWY WE LOWERED THE GEAR AND THE R GEAR LIGHT GAVE AN UNSAFE INDICATION. WE THEN RECYCLED THE GEAR AND THEN GOT 'THREE GREENS' AND LANDED SAFELY. CONSIDERING THAT TEMPS WERE SO COLD, WE WERE WONDERING IF ANYONE COULD SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT, ON IF CARB ICE WAS A POSSIBLE FACTOR?? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE SINCE THE INCIDENT, BOTH FAA, PLTS AND CTLRS. THE LCL FSDO INSPECTOR BELIEVES THAT THE PROB WAS ONE OF BLOCKED FUEL FILTERS. THE ANNUAL HAD BEEN COMPLETED THAT VERY DAY. THE ACFT WAS IN THE HANGAR. THE FSDO REP FEELS THAT ALL FUEL HAS SOME MOISTURE IN IT EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL WAS DRAINED AND CHKED. ABOUT 45 MINS INTO THE FLT THIS MOISTURE GOT COLD ENOUGH TO FORM ICE AND PLUGGED THE FUEL FILTERS. THE ENGS DID NOT JUST DIE, THEY SLOWLY LOST PWR, BECAME ROUGH AND THEN DIED. THIS WOULD TEND TO CORROBORATE THE THEORY. THIS WAS A RENTAL ACFT, AND RPTR STATED THAT WHILE IT IS AIRWORTHY, IT DOES HAVE SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT UP TO PAR. ONE IS THE VENT IN THE WINDOW ON WHICH THE SEAL IS BROKEN. HE HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE SNOW FORMING ONCE THE DRY AIR ENTERED THE ACFT. HE ALSO ATTRIBUTES THE GEAR INDICATORS AS PART OF THE GENERAL UPKEEP PROB. THE GEAR PROB WAS NOT AS BAD AS BEING IN SOLID IMC DOWN TO ABOUT 300 FT AGL. RPTR IS A MULTI ENG INSTRUCTOR AND WAS PROFICIENT IN EMER PROCS AS THAT IS WHAT MOST OF MULTI ENG TRAINING CONSISTS OF.

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.