Narrative:

I took off with 2 passenger from dunn airpark after attending a meet and display of antique aircraft. Climb out seemed normal, but about 5 mins into the flight and halfway to our home base at spruce creek fly-in I smelled gas. As mins passed, it became evident that we had a problem. I started to look for a place to land when the engine quit. Nothing I did would restart it. I headed for massey ranch which was approximately 4 mi away and decided it was too far, so it had to be I95. I aimed for the little grass median between the north and southbound lanes. I noticed just as my wheels touched that there was a drainage ditch ahead. There was a line of tall weeds across it, which had not been cut during mowing. I was rolling pretty fast and elected to jump the ditch by pulled back on the yoke which lifted the nose wheel off the turf and made the plane a lot lighter, I was able to float across the 5' ditch and come to a stop 300' on the other side and about 300' from the trees in the median with no damage to the plane or passenger. We all got out immediately and found gas pouring out of the engine which I shut off. The problem was a broken gascolator (fuel drain bowl). The main shaft (standpipe) had broken, which allowed the bowl to come loose and starve the engine for fuel. I have had not way to drain this bowl, except by removing the cowling for annuals and oil changes. Coincidentally, 3 days before this event I had sent for a new stc fuel drain kit and it had not arrived. This pull drain was never installed on this model at the factory. Cause: I think during the 5 yrs that I have owned this fine airplane and to not be able to drain this bowl before every flight caused an accumulation of water and contaminants in the bottom of the bowl, which caused the standpipe to corrode and eventually fail. Mfr should have installed this pull drain on this model airplane, like it did on all the rest of their aircraft. I would recommend that any small aircraft owner who does not have a pull drain, send for one immediately and not fly the airplane until this assembly is pulled apart and inspected.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMELL OF GAS AND ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED PLT TO MAKE EMERGENCY LNDG ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY MEDIAN.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF WITH 2 PAX FROM DUNN AIRPARK AFTER ATTENDING A MEET AND DISPLAY OF ANTIQUE ACFT. CLBOUT SEEMED NORMAL, BUT ABOUT 5 MINS INTO THE FLT AND HALFWAY TO OUR HOME BASE AT SPRUCE CREEK FLY-IN I SMELLED GAS. AS MINS PASSED, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT WE HAD A PROB. I STARTED TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LAND WHEN THE ENG QUIT. NOTHING I DID WOULD RESTART IT. I HEADED FOR MASSEY RANCH WHICH WAS APPROX 4 MI AWAY AND DECIDED IT WAS TOO FAR, SO IT HAD TO BE I95. I AIMED FOR THE LITTLE GRASS MEDIAN BTWN THE N AND SBND LANES. I NOTICED JUST AS MY WHEELS TOUCHED THAT THERE WAS A DRAINAGE DITCH AHEAD. THERE WAS A LINE OF TALL WEEDS ACROSS IT, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN CUT DURING MOWING. I WAS ROLLING PRETTY FAST AND ELECTED TO JUMP THE DITCH BY PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE WHICH LIFTED THE NOSE WHEEL OFF THE TURF AND MADE THE PLANE A LOT LIGHTER, I WAS ABLE TO FLOAT ACROSS THE 5' DITCH AND COME TO A STOP 300' ON THE OTHER SIDE AND ABOUT 300' FROM THE TREES IN THE MEDIAN WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OR PAX. WE ALL GOT OUT IMMEDIATELY AND FOUND GAS POURING OUT OF THE ENG WHICH I SHUT OFF. THE PROB WAS A BROKEN GASCOLATOR (FUEL DRAIN BOWL). THE MAIN SHAFT (STANDPIPE) HAD BROKEN, WHICH ALLOWED THE BOWL TO COME LOOSE AND STARVE THE ENG FOR FUEL. I HAVE HAD NOT WAY TO DRAIN THIS BOWL, EXCEPT BY REMOVING THE COWLING FOR ANNUALS AND OIL CHANGES. COINCIDENTALLY, 3 DAYS BEFORE THIS EVENT I HAD SENT FOR A NEW STC FUEL DRAIN KIT AND IT HAD NOT ARRIVED. THIS PULL DRAIN WAS NEVER INSTALLED ON THIS MODEL AT THE FACTORY. CAUSE: I THINK DURING THE 5 YRS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS FINE AIRPLANE AND TO NOT BE ABLE TO DRAIN THIS BOWL BEFORE EVERY FLT CAUSED AN ACCUMULATION OF WATER AND CONTAMINANTS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL, WHICH CAUSED THE STANDPIPE TO CORRODE AND EVENTUALLY FAIL. MFR SHOULD HAVE INSTALLED THIS PULL DRAIN ON THIS MODEL AIRPLANE, LIKE IT DID ON ALL THE REST OF THEIR ACFT. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANY SMA OWNER WHO DOES NOT HAVE A PULL DRAIN, SEND FOR ONE IMMEDIATELY AND NOT FLY THE AIRPLANE UNTIL THIS ASSEMBLY IS PULLED APART AND INSPECTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.