Narrative:

While en route to clt, nc, at 9000 ft over the bristol, tn, area the beech 18/C-45G that I was plting developed a power loss in the right engine. At 9000 ft, both throttles were full forward which produced 27 inches manifold pressure in the left and 28 inches manifold pressure in the right. When I noticed the drop in performance the right was down to 25 inches and the left was still at 27 inches manifold pressure. I applied manifold heat to the right engine, and when there was no effect at all I recycled the lever, this time leaving it on for at least 10-15 seconds. Normally when this procedure is used there is an immediate drop in manifold pressure and then a roughness to the engine. After several seconds the roughness disappears which indicates a clear induction system. However, this particular application of manifold heat had no effect at all. While descending toward tri for a landing I checked the magnetos, all of the engine gauges, I readjusted the mixture and tried using the fuel pump. I also continued to try applying the manifold heat, sometimes leaving it on for periods of time that I recall as being as long as a min to several mins. The left engine required manifold heat at least 3 times during the descent and possibly more. I am not sure of the actual number. Every time that I applied the left manifold heat the result was normal and the induction ice was eliminated. After descending below the clouds and lining up with the runway at tri and being within a 1/2 mi, I lowered the gear and got an indication of down on the left main and the nose, but up on the right gear. After recycling the gear and having the same indication I was now at the point of having to go around or immediately reduce power and land. At that instant the controller said 'go around' and I applied full power on the left engine and retracted the gear. When I reached for the left manifold heat to return it to the cold position, it would not move. I was now out of runway, and without full power on the left/good engine. I knew that I was in serious trouble. I was only able to gain a few hundred ft all the while just above the stall. I was also unable to make the right turn ordered by the tower to 180 degrees as there were ridges to the right that I could not clear. When another ridge appeared in front of me and it did not appear any better to the left I realized that all options were exhausted and a controled off field landing was my only alternative. The best spot appeared to be an area of open ground with a slight up-hill grade ending in a line of trees. I aimed for the point farthest away from the trees and pulled the power levers back. At the last second I flared slightly and after bouncing and sliding I stopped in the tree line. I shut off the magnetos and then tried to call the tower but was unable to because of the ELT. When I turned the master switch off the lights and radios stayed on, and realizing a possible fire, I gathered possessions and left the area with the 2 men who had arrived. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has no idea why tower asked him to go around. Had that not happened he might have been able to get the aircraft down on the runway. NTSB and FAA have been involved in the investigation and neither has been able to come up with a good explanation of why the right engine iced up. The insurance company has 'bought' the airplane and that part is settled. All aspects have been very cordial but reporter would sure like some kind of explanation of the engine problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 18 HAS ENG PWR LOSS ON R ENG. ATTEMPTING A LNDG NOTES R GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. TWR REQUESTS GAR AND L ENG PWR FAILS.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO CLT, NC, AT 9000 FT OVER THE BRISTOL, TN, AREA THE BEECH 18/C-45G THAT I WAS PLTING DEVELOPED A PWR LOSS IN THE R ENG. AT 9000 FT, BOTH THROTTLES WERE FULL FORWARD WHICH PRODUCED 27 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE IN THE L AND 28 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE IN THE R. WHEN I NOTICED THE DROP IN PERFORMANCE THE R WAS DOWN TO 25 INCHES AND THE L WAS STILL AT 27 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE. I APPLIED MANIFOLD HEAT TO THE R ENG, AND WHEN THERE WAS NO EFFECT AT ALL I RECYCLED THE LEVER, THIS TIME LEAVING IT ON FOR AT LEAST 10-15 SECONDS. NORMALLY WHEN THIS PROC IS USED THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE DROP IN MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND THEN A ROUGHNESS TO THE ENG. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS THE ROUGHNESS DISAPPEARS WHICH INDICATES A CLR INDUCTION SYS. HOWEVER, THIS PARTICULAR APPLICATION OF MANIFOLD HEAT HAD NO EFFECT AT ALL. WHILE DSNDING TOWARD TRI FOR A LNDG I CHKED THE MAGNETOS, ALL OF THE ENG GAUGES, I READJUSTED THE MIXTURE AND TRIED USING THE FUEL PUMP. I ALSO CONTINUED TO TRY APPLYING THE MANIFOLD HEAT, SOMETIMES LEAVING IT ON FOR PERIODS OF TIME THAT I RECALL AS BEING AS LONG AS A MIN TO SEVERAL MINS. THE L ENG REQUIRED MANIFOLD HEAT AT LEAST 3 TIMES DURING THE DSCNT AND POSSIBLY MORE. I AM NOT SURE OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER. EVERY TIME THAT I APPLIED THE L MANIFOLD HEAT THE RESULT WAS NORMAL AND THE INDUCTION ICE WAS ELIMINATED. AFTER DSNDING BELOW THE CLOUDS AND LINING UP WITH THE RWY AT TRI AND BEING WITHIN A 1/2 MI, I LOWERED THE GEAR AND GOT AN INDICATION OF DOWN ON THE L MAIN AND THE NOSE, BUT UP ON THE R GEAR. AFTER RECYCLING THE GEAR AND HAVING THE SAME INDICATION I WAS NOW AT THE POINT OF HAVING TO GAR OR IMMEDIATELY REDUCE PWR AND LAND. AT THAT INSTANT THE CTLR SAID 'GAR' AND I APPLIED FULL PWR ON THE L ENG AND RETRACTED THE GEAR. WHEN I REACHED FOR THE L MANIFOLD HEAT TO RETURN IT TO THE COLD POS, IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I WAS NOW OUT OF RWY, AND WITHOUT FULL PWR ON THE L/GOOD ENG. I KNEW THAT I WAS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GAIN A FEW HUNDRED FT ALL THE WHILE JUST ABOVE THE STALL. I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO MAKE THE R TURN ORDERED BY THE TWR TO 180 DEGS AS THERE WERE RIDGES TO THE R THAT I COULD NOT CLR. WHEN ANOTHER RIDGE APPEARED IN FRONT OF ME AND IT DID NOT APPEAR ANY BETTER TO THE L I REALIZED THAT ALL OPTIONS WERE EXHAUSTED AND A CTLED OFF FIELD LNDG WAS MY ONLY ALTERNATIVE. THE BEST SPOT APPEARED TO BE AN AREA OF OPEN GND WITH A SLIGHT UP-HILL GRADE ENDING IN A LINE OF TREES. I AIMED FOR THE POINT FARTHEST AWAY FROM THE TREES AND PULLED THE PWR LEVERS BACK. AT THE LAST SECOND I FLARED SLIGHTLY AND AFTER BOUNCING AND SLIDING I STOPPED IN THE TREE LINE. I SHUT OFF THE MAGNETOS AND THEN TRIED TO CALL THE TWR BUT WAS UNABLE TO BECAUSE OF THE ELT. WHEN I TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS AND RADIOS STAYED ON, AND REALIZING A POSSIBLE FIRE, I GATHERED POSSESSIONS AND LEFT THE AREA WITH THE 2 MEN WHO HAD ARRIVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS NO IDEA WHY TWR ASKED HIM TO GAR. HAD THAT NOT HAPPENED HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ACFT DOWN ON THE RWY. NTSB AND FAA HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION AND NEITHER HAS BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH A GOOD EXPLANATION OF WHY THE R ENG ICED UP. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS 'BOUGHT' THE AIRPLANE AND THAT PART IS SETTLED. ALL ASPECTS HAVE BEEN VERY CORDIAL BUT RPTR WOULD SURE LIKE SOME KIND OF EXPLANATION OF THE ENG PROBS.

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.