 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Rotary wing pilot soloing in a fixed wing aircraft lost engine because of fuel starvation. Landed off airport successfully.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 152629 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199007 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : act |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 750 flight time type : 9 |
| ASRS Report | 152629 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
I am a rotary wing pilot with over 750 hours, but had never flown a fixed wing aircraft until lately. I was given a complete flight check out and signed off to solo. My knowledge of the aircraft and its systems was limited to my small amount of experience (8 hours) and an open book test which was given by my instrument. This lack of experience and aircraft knowledge led to my being misled by a faulty fuel gauge and losing all power during flight. My training though short was very good, this allowed me to make a power off approach into an unprepared field with little difficulty. I feel that a standard written examination with all basic aircraft abilities and limitations should be given to all pilots who are not qualified in a specific aircraft before flight is made solo. Also all aircraft should be built with a fuel low light installed so as to lessen the chance of such an occurrence.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ROTARY WING PLT SOLOING IN A FIXED WING ACFT LOST ENGINE BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION. LANDED OFF ARPT SUCCESSFULLY.
Narrative: I AM A ROTARY WING PLT WITH OVER 750 HRS, BUT HAD NEVER FLOWN A FIXED WING ACFT UNTIL LATELY. I WAS GIVEN A COMPLETE FLT CHK OUT AND SIGNED OFF TO SOLO. MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACFT AND ITS SYSTEMS WAS LIMITED TO MY SMALL AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE (8 HRS) AND AN OPEN BOOK TEST WHICH WAS GIVEN BY MY INSTR. THIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND ACFT KNOWLEDGE LED TO MY BEING MISLED BY A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE AND LOSING ALL PWR DURING FLT. MY TRNING THOUGH SHORT WAS VERY GOOD, THIS ALLOWED ME TO MAKE A PWR OFF APCH INTO AN UNPREPARED FIELD WITH LITTLE DIFFICULTY. I FEEL THAT A STANDARD WRITTEN EXAMINATION WITH ALL BASIC ACFT ABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ALL PLTS WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED IN A SPECIFIC ACFT BEFORE FLT IS MADE SOLO. ALSO ALL ACFT SHOULD BE BUILT WITH A FUEL LOW LIGHT INSTALLED SO AS TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF SUCH AN OCCURRENCE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.