The pilot reported that, during the descent to the destination airport in Ashland, Mo., the Cessna 414’s left engine experienced a partial loss of power.
He attempted to troubleshoot the issue. Unable to restore the engine power, he secured the left engine, feathered the propeller, and advised air traffic control of the situation.
Shortly after, the right engine experienced a partial loss of power and eventually only produced idle power. Unable to reach the destination airport, he conducted a forced landing to a field.
A post-accident examination revealed ice buildup in the fuel manifold valves, the fuel strainer bowls, and the fuel strainer screens. The left fuel strainer bowl contained a 1-3/8-inch thick piece of ice.
Fuel samples from both of the airplane’s fuel tanks and from the fuel supplier at the airport used to the fuel the airplane earlier in the day were tested, and no water contamination was found.
The source of the water contamination could not be determined. It is likely that the loss of engine power resulted from water contamination and subsequent ice buildup in the fuel system.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the in-flight failure of both engines due to water contamination.
NTSB Identification: CEN14LA120
This January 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I trained on planes with carbs and was always taught that a sudden loss of power required a fuel check, fuel pump on and apply carb heat so my response was based on this training, shoulda looked up the fuel injection bit!. I have never flown a fuel injected plane. Well aware of water being suspended in the air etc. hence the ice forms hence the carb heat use. I wasn’t suggesting there was ice in the fuel system generally but at the carburettor intake where the pressure drops but as has been said this doesn’t apply since it was a fuel injected plane.
Maybe what the operator should be doing is draining the sumps more often. With no moisture present in the tanks nor the service vehicle is appears that a lack of discipline present for not doing a complete preflight. Drain the fuel selector sump, too. And yes, Cessna tested Prist in the 70’s and it does work fairly well.
He could have been religiously draining all sumps, I had the same problem a couple of times in a Queen Air 88 and a TC Baton, Avfuel always has a certain amount of H2O suspended in it, high altitude, reduced temperatures and flow turbulence passing through areas such as a fuel selector, will cause the water to precipitate and then freeze, causing more turbulence and thus more freezing. Once I started adding Prist, never had the problem again.
I wonder if carb heat was applied as soon as the power dropped. I seems to me that the ice was formed from water vapour in the atmosphere given what has been reported re no water found in fuel samples taken from the tanks.
No carb heat on 414 besides ice in fuel system is not affected by carb heat, Ice fotms when water suspended in gas, disperses out at high altitude and freezes in fuel system, Cessna sent out a service notice on that back in the 70s, it will also quite often melt at lower altitudes and restore power,
The C414 is fuel injected, no
Carburetor!
Well that explains that then!
Not unusual in 414, 340, 421, years ago Cessna advised the use of prist, when operating the aircraft in the FLs, most times, the engine with partial loss will come back at lower altitudes, shouldn’t be in a big hurry to shutdown a partial loss engine unless it is obviously destroying itself,