On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 01:52:10 GMT, "Blueskies"
wrote:


"pnw_aviator" wrote in message ups.com...

Here is the NTSB prelim report:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...13X00046&key=1


You know, hindsight is always 20-20, but if they lost oil pressure and still had a running engine, why didn't they try
to land anywhere they could right now with what engine they had left rather that trying to nurse it to get to the
airport? I'm not sure what I would do now that I think of it; I would have to watch the other engine instruments to see
if the CHT was going high (if it was installed) thus confirming oil loss. Maybe need to make a decision right here right
now, on the ground, that if I see low or zero pressure I will land immediately...


Without knowing all the facts of what the engine was sounding like,
what their oil temp was reading, and other gauges (if they had other
gauges) were reading, I too would have gone for the airport, it was
only 8 miles out. Why risk a dangerous off airport landing in a
highly populated area for what could be a bad gauge. I too have had
to make that same decision a few years ago with a gas gauge. In a
twin, I was making a flight that was 3.5 hours long with full tanks
that have a 5.5 hour endurance. Just before I was to arrive at my
destination about 10 min, I noticed that the right tank was showing
near empty with my left tank showing 20+ gallons remaining (which was
where it should have been). I had myself convinced it was a gauge. I
was IMC at night, by myself and in icing conditions, on my final
vector to intercept the LOC when my right engine died. After the "OH
****" thought went through my mind, I hit the cross feed, continued on
with the approach, after what felt like 30min's (of course it was only
probably a few seconds) the engine sprang back to life and I continued
into the airport and landed safely. The next day, I had the thing
checked out and found out that I had a ruptured fuel bladder. Because
it was dark and IMC, I couldn't see the fuel leaking out.

Its really hard to say "I would have" without being in the cockpit and
seeing what the pilot is seeing and hearing and interpreting.

My .02


Scott D

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