Narrative:

I was flying IFR from santa barbara to reno on that monday night. It was uneventful until I was handed off to the tower. Approach asked me if I could see the airport which I replied yes. When I contacted the tower, they asked me the same question. Again, I replied, 'yes, but I am unfamiliar with the airport.' during this brief time I was descending at a high rate to drop from 12000 ft to pattern altitude of the airport as it was a very short horizontal distance. I then had difficulty finding the runway lights for the runway I was given. It is difficult to see these fairly dim lights against the bright background of the surrounding lights. I finally found it as I was just passing through a straight final approach to that runway. At this I made a steep, but coordinated and speed-safe turn back to final. I was now at a normal approach angle for this runway and continued down in a normal fashion. After touchdown, I was taxiing along the runway to the next exit when my 2 engines quit. This is something I have never experienced in either a single or twin engine in my flying. Of course, I tried to start the engines back up but neither would start. There was still a couple of flying hours of fuel remaining in the tanks. The FBO brought over a tug and towed me to the FBO. The ground controller told me to call the tower when I was settled. Two of the ground's people at the FBO told me that this was not an unusual occurrence at this airport because of the fast altitude loss between the mountain clearance and the elevation of the airport. The gentleman at the tower answered the phone and told me he was going to write me up for the following reasons: 1) I had difficult time in finding the runway after I said the airport was in sight. 2) I had made a 'weird' turn to final. 3) my engines quit while taxiing off the runway. What was very interesting was that I asked a ground controller on the taxi for takeoff if it was unusual for a light plane to have its engine(south) quit after landing. He said 'it does happen.' this is on the tower tape. The ways to alleviate this problem are: 1) have a strobe at the end of all active runways at night. 2) the tower should respond with vectors if a pilot says he is unfamiliar with the airport. 3) allow more descent time from approach handoff to the airport rather than dumping right at the airport at a high altitude after clearing the surrounding mountains. I felt the condescending attitude of the controller was not necessary. There was never a threat to myself, the airplane or anyone else using the airport. The engines quitting on me during taxi was enough stress without being told he was going to write me up even though no FARS had been broken that I am aware of today.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER SENECA LANDS AT RNO, NV, AND THE ENGS QUIT WHILE ON THE RWY. ACFT HAS TO BE TOWED OFF THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING IFR FROM SANTA BARBARA TO RENO ON THAT MONDAY NIGHT. IT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE TWR. APCH ASKED ME IF I COULD SEE THE ARPT WHICH I REPLIED YES. WHEN I CONTACTED THE TWR, THEY ASKED ME THE SAME QUESTION. AGAIN, I REPLIED, 'YES, BUT I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT.' DURING THIS BRIEF TIME I WAS DSNDING AT A HIGH RATE TO DROP FROM 12000 FT TO PATTERN ALT OF THE ARPT AS IT WAS A VERY SHORT HORIZ DISTANCE. I THEN HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING THE RWY LIGHTS FOR THE RWY I WAS GIVEN. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THESE FAIRLY DIM LIGHTS AGAINST THE BRIGHT BACKGROUND OF THE SURROUNDING LIGHTS. I FINALLY FOUND IT AS I WAS JUST PASSING THROUGH A STRAIGHT FINAL APCH TO THAT RWY. AT THIS I MADE A STEEP, BUT COORDINATED AND SPD-SAFE TURN BACK TO FINAL. I WAS NOW AT A NORMAL APCH ANGLE FOR THIS RWY AND CONTINUED DOWN IN A NORMAL FASHION. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, I WAS TAXIING ALONG THE RWY TO THE NEXT EXIT WHEN MY 2 ENGS QUIT. THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED IN EITHER A SINGLE OR TWIN ENG IN MY FLYING. OF COURSE, I TRIED TO START THE ENGS BACK UP BUT NEITHER WOULD START. THERE WAS STILL A COUPLE OF FLYING HRS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. THE FBO BROUGHT OVER A TUG AND TOWED ME TO THE FBO. THE GND CTLR TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I WAS SETTLED. TWO OF THE GND'S PEOPLE AT THE FBO TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE AT THIS ARPT BECAUSE OF THE FAST ALT LOSS BTWN THE MOUNTAIN CLRNC AND THE ELEVATION OF THE ARPT. THE GENTLEMAN AT THE TWR ANSWERED THE PHONE AND TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO WRITE ME UP FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) I HAD DIFFICULT TIME IN FINDING THE RWY AFTER I SAID THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT. 2) I HAD MADE A 'WEIRD' TURN TO FINAL. 3) MY ENGS QUIT WHILE TAXIING OFF THE RWY. WHAT WAS VERY INTERESTING WAS THAT I ASKED A GND CTLR ON THE TAXI FOR TKOF IF IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A LIGHT PLANE TO HAVE ITS ENG(S) QUIT AFTER LNDG. HE SAID 'IT DOES HAPPEN.' THIS IS ON THE TWR TAPE. THE WAYS TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROB ARE: 1) HAVE A STROBE AT THE END OF ALL ACTIVE RWYS AT NIGHT. 2) THE TWR SHOULD RESPOND WITH VECTORS IF A PLT SAYS HE IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. 3) ALLOW MORE DSCNT TIME FROM APCH HDOF TO THE ARPT RATHER THAN DUMPING RIGHT AT THE ARPT AT A HIGH ALT AFTER CLRING THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS. I FELT THE CONDESCENDING ATTITUDE OF THE CTLR WAS NOT NECESSARY. THERE WAS NEVER A THREAT TO MYSELF, THE AIRPLANE OR ANYONE ELSE USING THE ARPT. THE ENGS QUITTING ON ME DURING TAXI WAS ENOUGH STRESS WITHOUT BEING TOLD HE WAS GOING TO WRITE ME UP EVEN THOUGH NO FARS HAD BEEN BROKEN THAT I AM AWARE OF TODAY.

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.