Engine stoppage and flight continuation after restart in a homebuilt small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	216251
Time
Date	199207
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 4ca7
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1100 msl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude descent other landing other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	216251
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Situation --homebuilt. (I didn't build it!) left tank almost full 13 gallons; right tank 3 gallons, in preparation for upcoming removal to fix minor leaks. At start-up, electric pump maybe took a bit long to pressurize system. Attributed that to 3 weeks since last flight. Slight smell of gas in cockpit in climb out. Thought it might be right tank. 15 min after engine start, engine quit abruptly. Rapidly performed engine in-flight failure actions and got restart. Lesson: did routine so quickly (at 1100 AGL) that I did not know what made the engine run again. Was already on B frequency: asked for direct to sjc 3000 ft (sjc is home base). Circled over sky sailing to 3000, then direct sjc at normal cruise. Maintained 3000 till airport boundary. Landing uneventful. Taxied to hangar, left engine running for debugging. Engine quit after 30 seconds. Was out of gas in left tank: consumed 10 plus gallons in last 10 mins of flight. Found fuel line had been flared improperly, bent after installation at one flare fitting, attached at one end to gascolator on flexible mount. Line failed at firewall flare fitting, at the flare itself. Electric fuel pump squirted enough fuel across break for the engine pump to pick up enough fuel to run. Could easily have been an in-flight fire. Symptoms were same as engine driven pump failure. Good decisions: go home immediately. Lots of altitude. Covey urgency. Questionable: leave landing site immediately below -- but condition of site unknown. Summary: condition only detectable by disassembly, not by inspection. Be real careful with a used homebuilt!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG STOPPAGE AND FLT CONTINUATION AFTER RESTART IN A HOMEBUILT SMA.

Narrative: SITUATION --HOMEBUILT. (I DIDN'T BUILD IT!) L TANK ALMOST FULL 13 GALLONS; R TANK 3 GALLONS, IN PREPARATION FOR UPCOMING REMOVAL TO FIX MINOR LEAKS. AT START-UP, ELECTRIC PUMP MAYBE TOOK A BIT LONG TO PRESSURIZE SYS. ATTRIBUTED THAT TO 3 WKS SINCE LAST FLT. SLIGHT SMELL OF GAS IN COCKPIT IN CLBOUT. THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE R TANK. 15 MIN AFTER ENG START, ENG QUIT ABRUPTLY. RAPIDLY PERFORMED ENG INFLT FAILURE ACTIONS AND GOT RESTART. LESSON: DID ROUTINE SO QUICKLY (AT 1100 AGL) THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT MADE THE ENG RUN AGAIN. WAS ALREADY ON B FREQ: ASKED FOR DIRECT TO SJC 3000 FT (SJC IS HOME BASE). CIRCLED OVER SKY SAILING TO 3000, THEN DIRECT SJC AT NORMAL CRUISE. MAINTAINED 3000 TILL ARPT BOUNDARY. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. TAXIED TO HANGAR, L ENG RUNNING FOR DEBUGGING. ENG QUIT AFTER 30 SECONDS. WAS OUT OF GAS IN L TANK: CONSUMED 10 PLUS GALLONS IN LAST 10 MINS OF FLT. FOUND FUEL LINE HAD BEEN FLARED IMPROPERLY, BENT AFTER INSTALLATION AT ONE FLARE FITTING, ATTACHED AT ONE END TO GASCOLATOR ON FLEXIBLE MOUNT. LINE FAILED AT FIREWALL FLARE FITTING, AT THE FLARE ITSELF. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SQUIRTED ENOUGH FUEL ACROSS BREAK FOR THE ENG PUMP TO PICK UP ENOUGH FUEL TO RUN. COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN AN INFLT FIRE. SYMPTOMS WERE SAME AS ENG DRIVEN PUMP FAILURE. GOOD DECISIONS: GO HOME IMMEDIATELY. LOTS OF ALT. COVEY URGENCY. QUESTIONABLE: LEAVE LNDG SITE IMMEDIATELY BELOW -- BUT CONDITION OF SITE UNKNOWN. SUMMARY: CONDITION ONLY DETECTABLE BY DISASSEMBLY, NOT BY INSPECTION. BE REAL CAREFUL WITH A USED HOMEBUILT!

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.