Multi engine fuel crossfeed question (Duchess twin)

akiley wrote in
:

On Jan 14, 11:07 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
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I seem to recall some twins had problems with fuel lines chafing,
which cased the fuel line to rupture draining the tank into the
wing area behind the engine somewhere.

Haven't heard of it but I'd be surprised if it hadn't happened
somewhere, sometime.

Maybe you wouldn't want to try to

restart that failed engine using crossfeed! Also, can't a clogged
fuel tank vent cause a vacuum, then fuel starvation?

Yep!

So maybe the aircraft manufacturer doesn't want to suggest the
option of restarting a failed engine by crossfeeding from the
opposite engine because: It might be dangerous in some cases like
you mention. Fuel leaking internally. Maybe securing that failed
engine, which turns off fuel and electricity on that side is a
safer option.

Well, they did provide you with a crossfeed! You do what you have to
do, but you'd want to be sure of what it is you're doing.
If you needed the engine to keep you from hitting somethng, the
ground, for instance, then you don't have a lot of choice.
So it all depends. You might know for sure why it shut down. Hard to
say even when you;re sitting there next to the engine.
In jets it's something we might consider a bit more seriously since
they can flame out just from very heavy rain, for instance (
shouldn't, though) We're trained to attempt a restart if there's no
apparent damage to the engine, but we're not trained to try and see
if fuel from the opposite tank will fix it. If the tank on that side
has run dry, I'd be just as wary of a restart never mind one from the
other tank as I would in a light twin for the same reason you stated.
But if I knew why the fuel was gone and it wasn't dangerous to
restart and I was very sure of that, well then, sure, I'd attempt a
restart and I would use the fuel from the opposite tank.

Bertie

Good points, I think I have a better understanding of the situation
now.


Kay!

Probably more than you wanted to know, but it's hard to tell exactly
what someone wants to know here!


Bertie