22,000' Glide

[pelmet]

Occurrence Summary:
N357CS, a privately registered Piper PA-46-310P, was conducting a flight from Port Angeles
(KCLM), WA, to Ketchikan (PAKT), AK, with 1 pilot and 2 passengers on board. Approximately
15nm NE of Bella Bella (CBBC), BC and travelling at 22 000 feet, the engine (Teledyne
Continental Motors TSIO-520-C) shook for a few seconds and then quit running. The pilot made an
immediate turn towards CBBC and declared an emergency with ATC. The aircraft glided towards
the airport and spiraled to set up for an approach. The aircraft landed on runway 13 where it rolled
to the taxiway and onto the ramp. There were no injuries.

A local maintenance crew sumped the fuel tanks to check for possible water contamination. None
was found. The aircraft was ground-run without issue. The tanks were sumped again prior to
another successful ground-run. The aircraft was then flown to Port Hardy Airport (CYZT), BC
before returning to it's home base in the USA were further maintenance will be conducted.

[cncpc]

Occurrence Summary:
N357CS, a privately registered Piper PA-46-310P, was conducting a flight from Port Angeles
(KCLM), WA, to Ketchikan (PAKT), AK, with 1 pilot and 2 passengers on board. Approximately
15nm NE of Bella Bella (CBBC), BC and travelling at 22 000 feet, the engine (Teledyne
Continental Motors TSIO-520-C) shook for a few seconds and then quit running. The pilot made an
immediate turn towards CBBC and declared an emergency with ATC. The aircraft glided towards
the airport and spiraled to set up for an approach. The aircraft landed on runway 13 where it rolled
to the taxiway and onto the ramp. There were no injuries.

A local maintenance crew sumped the fuel tanks to check for possible water contamination. None
was found. The aircraft was ground-run without issue. The tanks were sumped again prior to
another successful ground-run. The aircraft was then flown to Port Hardy Airport (CYZT), BC
before returning to it's home base in the USA were further maintenance will be conducted.

I had an incident in a Malibu a few years after they came out. I was enroute Bellingham to Monterey California night IFR over Mount St. Helen's at 21000 when the engine began to shake quite noticeably. Little idea what it was but I remember thinking I might have shed a prop tip to create imbalance. Throttled back and to idle and started a power off glide to Portland after a Pan call. I did add a bit of power every five minutes or so and I always had an engine running. When I broke out on final at around 3000, I added all the power I need at that stage and no vibration. Uneventful landing. In the morning, the FBO there pulled the cowl and found that the pressurization hose to one mag had popped off.

Similar sort of facts to this, other than the engine never quit. I can't see that it would if it was just loss of mag pressurization. It would shake though. It fixes itself when you've descended to lower altitudes. Assuming this was day VFR, otherwise not really a place to be spiralling in. Good job to the pilot though.

[PilotDAR]

I was sent to fly an engine break in flight in a turbo C 206 decades back. It was a beauty day so I foolishly went for a sightseeing flight. 42 miles from home, and at 13,000 feet, I started getting oil over the windshield - Geeze, why did I come so far from home? T's and P's were all fine, so I slowly closed the throttle, and headed for home in an idle glide. I knew of a couple of grass strips between me and home, but really did not want to explain why I'd chosen to land into one. With the help of a tailwind, I idle glided all the way home, downwind, base, and landed. I rolled off the runway, shut it down, and walked to the hangar. The boss had seen me gliding in. "what's wrong with it?" " Oil over the windshield" "okay, go and tow it in...".

It turned out that the oil filler cap had come off, so not serious, but I did not know that. Happily for me, the boss did not ask where I'd glided from! After that, maintenance I kept flights close to home....