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Engine failure due to fuel starvation causes small aircraft pilot to make an emergency forced landing at an off airport site in a night operation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 200916 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199202 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 19a |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lax |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 650 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 200916 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : observer observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Owner and pilot departed athens airport in an small aircraft approximately pm:15 feb/sat/92, for flight check of aircraft prior to possible purchase negotiations, bound for jackson county airport. Aircraft fuel level was checked before flight. The right wing tank gauge appeared half full, the left wing tank gauge appeared near empty. The owner indicated that this was sufficient fuel for the flight. Upon transition from climb to cruise, it was noted that the left gauge was on empty, and the right gauge had fallen rapidly from approximately half tank to near empty. Pilot proceeded directly to the jackson county airport, the closest landing facility. When approaching the jackson county airport. Pilot executed long final approach to runway 34. Approximately 3 mi from the threshold of the runway, at 2500 ft. MSL, the acfts engine lost all power, apparently due to fuel exhaustion. Pilot executed forced landing in newly plowed field nearby. The aircraft was not damaged, and the pilot suffered a fuel leak in flight. It is recommended that pilots always: 1) actually look into each fuel tank and measure the amount of fuel therein and, 2) carefully monitor fuel gauges in flight, keeping a reserve in the event of unexplained rapid fuel depletion.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION CAUSES SMA PLT TO MAKE AN EMER FORCED LNDG AT AN OFF ARPT SITE IN A NIGHT OP.
Narrative: OWNER AND PLT DEPARTED ATHENS ARPT IN AN SMA APPROX PM:15 FEB/SAT/92, FOR FLT CHK OF ACFT PRIOR TO POSSIBLE PURCHASE NEGOTIATIONS, BOUND FOR JACKSON COUNTY ARPT. ACFT FUEL LEVEL WAS CHKED BEFORE FLT. THE R WING TANK GAUGE APPEARED HALF FULL, THE L WING TANK GAUGE APPEARED NEAR EMPTY. THE OWNER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE FLT. UPON TRANSITION FROM CLB TO CRUISE, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE L GAUGE WAS ON EMPTY, AND THE R GAUGE HAD FALLEN RAPIDLY FROM APPROX HALF TANK TO NEAR EMPTY. PLT PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE JACKSON COUNTY ARPT, THE CLOSEST LNDG FACILITY. WHEN APCHING THE JACKSON COUNTY ARPT. PLT EXECUTED LONG FINAL APCH TO RWY 34. APPROX 3 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD OF THE RWY, AT 2500 FT. MSL, THE ACFTS ENG LOST ALL PWR, APPARENTLY DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. PLT EXECUTED FORCED LNDG IN NEWLY PLOWED FIELD NEARBY. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED, AND THE PLT SUFFERED A FUEL LEAK IN FLT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PLTS ALWAYS: 1) ACTUALLY LOOK INTO EACH FUEL TANK AND MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THEREIN AND, 2) CAREFULLY MONITOR FUEL GAUGES IN FLT, KEEPING A RESERVE IN THE EVENT OF UNEXPLAINED RAPID FUEL DEPLETION.
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.