Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 23; Flight Crew Total 2199; Flight Crew Type 216
Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown
Aircraft; Procedure
Communicated with tower for takeoff instructions and cleared to takeoff. After takeoff; tower instructed pilot to contact Center and report back to tower. Problems with initial communications with ATC due to HF not functioning properly and then going to the use of a satellite phone. By the time communication [is] established with Center; tower was no longer within communication range. [Soon after]; plane developed engine trouble and the right engine was shut down and feathered in accordance with the emergency checklist. Fuel to the right engine was stopped. The pilot elected to return to departure point rather than proceed to destination. The rest of the flight was conducted on the left engine and a single engine VFR landing was made. Oceanic flights should be allowed to use satellite phones for communications rather than HF radios or at least the pilots should be given a choice.
C421 pilot reports difficulty contacting Center using an HF radio after departing on an overwater flight and believes that pilots should have the option of using a satellite phone. Less than an hour after after takeoff an engine problem develops and the right engine is shut down and the flight returns single engine to the departure point.