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A private multi engine instrument rated pilot, flying a light twin en route from hpn to lal, experienced an engine fire and diversion to 47J and later discovered that the aircraft was out of annual inspection.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 433809 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199904 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 47j.airport |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : flo.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-23-250 Aztec |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v103.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 1024 flight time type : 325 |
| ASRS Report | 433809 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : lead technician oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | technician : powerplant |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On apr/xa/99, I took off for hpn on a trip to lal. Approximately 1 week before, I had a telephone conversation with the aircraft's long-time mechanic, in whose care the aircraft had been for a substantial part of the winter, who had several months previously advised me that he had retained all of the aircraft's logbooks in order to bring the entries therein up-to-date. Because I did not have the logbooks with me at the time of such conversation and believed that such mechanic did, I inquired of him and he confirmed to me that such aircraft's annual would be in full force and valid during apr/99. After a 2 1/2 - 3 hour uneventful flight, I refueled at 5w8 and took off for lal. Approximately 30-45 mins of flight, the aircraft began to vibrate strongly, and I experienced difficulties controling its heading. I declared an emergency. While attempting to diagnose the apparent control problem, the left engine developed a fire under the top of its nacelle, and I shut such engine down, eliminating the vibration and control difficulties. With the able assistance of radar vectors from florence, sc, approach, I executed a successful single engine landing at 47J, without further incident, the fire having apparently been extinguished by the engine shutdown. Subsequently, on obtaining and examining all of the aircraft's logbooks, I ascertained that the last annual inspection noted therein was in mar/98. Accordingly, based on such logbook entry, the aircraft was out of annual on apr/xa/99. From mar/98 through mar/99, the aircraft had flown some 47 hours. While, with hindsight, it was a mistake for me to have relied solely on the word of the aircraft's mechanic, I believed that he was in the best position to supply me with the needed information. If he had advised me that the aircraft would not be in annual on apr/xa/99, I would not have flown the aircraft that day without having a new annual inspection completed or obtaining a ferry permit. If I had to make such inquiry again, I would insist that the mechanic facsimile me a copy of the last annual inspection endorsement in the aircraft's logbooks.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PVT MULTI ENG INST RATED PLT, FLYING A LIGHT TWIN ENRTE FROM HPN TO LAL, EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE AND DIVERSION TO 47J AND LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT WAS OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION.
Narrative: ON APR/XA/99, I TOOK OFF FOR HPN ON A TRIP TO LAL. APPROX 1 WK BEFORE, I HAD A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE ACFT'S LONG-TIME MECH, IN WHOSE CARE THE ACFT HAD BEEN FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE WINTER, WHO HAD SEVERAL MONTHS PREVIOUSLY ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD RETAINED ALL OF THE ACFT'S LOGBOOKS IN ORDER TO BRING THE ENTRIES THEREIN UP-TO-DATE. BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE LOGBOOKS WITH ME AT THE TIME OF SUCH CONVERSATION AND BELIEVED THAT SUCH MECH DID, I INQUIRED OF HIM AND HE CONFIRMED TO ME THAT SUCH ACFT'S ANNUAL WOULD BE IN FULL FORCE AND VALID DURING APR/99. AFTER A 2 1/2 - 3 HR UNEVENTFUL FLT, I REFUELED AT 5W8 AND TOOK OFF FOR LAL. APPROX 30-45 MINS OF FLT, THE ACFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE STRONGLY, AND I EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES CTLING ITS HDG. I DECLARED AN EMER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE THE APPARENT CTL PROB, THE L ENG DEVELOPED A FIRE UNDER THE TOP OF ITS NACELLE, AND I SHUT SUCH ENG DOWN, ELIMINATING THE VIBRATION AND CTL DIFFICULTIES. WITH THE ABLE ASSISTANCE OF RADAR VECTORS FROM FLORENCE, SC, APCH, I EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL SINGLE ENG LNDG AT 47J, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT, THE FIRE HAVING APPARENTLY BEEN EXTINGUISHED BY THE ENG SHUTDOWN. SUBSEQUENTLY, ON OBTAINING AND EXAMINING ALL OF THE ACFT'S LOGBOOKS, I ASCERTAINED THAT THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION NOTED THEREIN WAS IN MAR/98. ACCORDINGLY, BASED ON SUCH LOGBOOK ENTRY, THE ACFT WAS OUT OF ANNUAL ON APR/XA/99. FROM MAR/98 THROUGH MAR/99, THE ACFT HAD FLOWN SOME 47 HRS. WHILE, WITH HINDSIGHT, IT WAS A MISTAKE FOR ME TO HAVE RELIED SOLELY ON THE WORD OF THE ACFT'S MECH, I BELIEVED THAT HE WAS IN THE BEST POS TO SUPPLY ME WITH THE NEEDED INFO. IF HE HAD ADVISED ME THAT THE ACFT WOULD NOT BE IN ANNUAL ON APR/XA/99, I WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT THAT DAY WITHOUT HAVING A NEW ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED OR OBTAINING A FERRY PERMIT. IF I HAD TO MAKE SUCH INQUIRY AGAIN, I WOULD INSIST THAT THE MECH FAX ME A COPY OF THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION ENDORSEMENT IN THE ACFT'S LOGBOOKS.
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.