Duchess 76
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 620; Flight Crew Type 80
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
After completing several landings at a local airport; I requested a full stop taxi back to the active runway. Upon exiting the runway the propeller on the left engine feathered without an adjustment of the prop governor or a decrease in oil pressure. The RPMs were low but the manifold pressure remained high which was an immediate notification that something was not right.Because only one propeller feathered it made it difficult and unsafe to continue taxiing at the controlled airfield. I then requested assistance from Tower and informed them of the situation. We were clear of all runways but sat on Taxiway A until the FBO was able to tow us back to the ramp. The problem has occurred three times before on the same aircraft. The aircraft has been squawked previously and returned to service but the problem persists.
An instructor pilot aboard a Beech Duchess was surprised when; after turning off the runway following a landing; the left propeller feathered for no apparent reason. This was the fourth instance of this exact event despite the aircraft being returned to service following each of the prior three events.