Small aircraft float plane makes emergency forced landing on the tundra, off airport landing. Pilot ...

Narrative:

I believe a fuel line problem caused the accident, causing me to loose power. I had earlier added 25 gallons of fuel to the aircraft prior to departing to an additional estimated 5 gallons already on board the aircraft, making the total fuel at departure of 30 gallons. The fuel was clean and filtered. Did full preflight inspection, weight and balance. Load weight on aircraft was 50-60 pounds of personal gear and 138 pounds of moose meat. Departed another goose lake at PM45 for douglas lake. Flew VFR along west slope of aleutian range. VFR conditions were variable from 3 mi to 25 mi visibility. Ceilings from 2800 ft to 800 ft AGL. Flew along route for approximately 125 NM, encountered low conditions (1-3 mi visibility). Did not enter low conditions, circumnaved west approximately 30 mins, conditions did not improve. I decided to turn back to king salmon to cancel my flight plan with my wife until conditions improved. Began navigation for king salmon. At that point, engine began to run rough. I switched to my fullest tank (right) which contained approximately 1 1/2 hours of fuel. I opened carburetor heat. Engine continued to run rough. Engine RPM fell off to 1700 RPM. Roughness increased. Worked carburetor heat lever, found to be functional. No positive effect on engine. Primer, mixture controls all ok and set properly. Engine power declined steadily until final loss of power. Attempted restart, no go. I was unable to glide to any nearby lakes so I picked a smooth spot on a clear patch of tundra. An abrupt hump sheered the center spreaders on the floats causing them to buckle. The aircraft slowly leaned left and left wing contacted the ground causing a slight bend. ELT did not activate. I later activated it. I bumped my head on the skylight and was stunned and disoriented for a while. A spent the night and rest of the next morning without sleep. I was also cold and experienced extreme anxiety as well as fatigue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLOAT PLANE MAKES EMER FORCED LNDG ON THE TUNDRA, OFF ARPT LNDG. PLT SUFFERS MINOR INJURY. EMOTIONAL TRAUMA AND FATIGUE.

Narrative: I BELIEVE A FUEL LINE PROBLEM CAUSED THE ACCIDENT, CAUSING ME TO LOOSE PWR. I HAD EARLIER ADDED 25 GALLONS OF FUEL TO THE ACFT PRIOR TO DEPARTING TO AN ADDITIONAL ESTIMATED 5 GALLONS ALREADY ON BOARD THE ACFT, MAKING THE TOTAL FUEL AT DEP OF 30 GALLONS. THE FUEL WAS CLEAN AND FILTERED. DID FULL PREFLT INSPECTION, WT AND BAL. LOAD WT ON ACFT WAS 50-60 POUNDS OF PERSONAL GEAR AND 138 POUNDS OF MOOSE MEAT. DEPARTED ANOTHER GOOSE LAKE AT PM45 FOR DOUGLAS LAKE. FLEW VFR ALONG W SLOPE OF ALEUTIAN RANGE. VFR CONDITIONS WERE VARIABLE FROM 3 MI TO 25 MI VISIBILITY. CEILINGS FROM 2800 FT TO 800 FT AGL. FLEW ALONG RTE FOR APPROX 125 NM, ENCOUNTERED LOW CONDITIONS (1-3 MI VISIBILITY). DID NOT ENTER LOW CONDITIONS, CIRCUMNAVED W APPROX 30 MINS, CONDITIONS DID NOT IMPROVE. I DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO KING SALMON TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN WITH MY WIFE UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVED. BEGAN NAV FOR KING SALMON. AT THAT POINT, ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. I SWITCHED TO MY FULLEST TANK (R) WHICH CONTAINED APPROX 1 1/2 HRS OF FUEL. I OPENED CARB HEAT. ENG CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. ENG RPM FELL OFF TO 1700 RPM. ROUGHNESS INCREASED. WORKED CARB HEAT LEVER, FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONAL. NO POSITIVE EFFECT ON ENG. PRIMER, MIXTURE CTLS ALL OK AND SET PROPERLY. ENG PWR DECLINED STEADILY UNTIL FINAL LOSS OF PWR. ATTEMPTED RESTART, NO GO. I WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO ANY NEARBY LAKES SO I PICKED A SMOOTH SPOT ON A CLR PATCH OF TUNDRA. AN ABRUPT HUMP SHEERED THE CTR SPREADERS ON THE FLOATS CAUSING THEM TO BUCKLE. THE ACFT SLOWLY LEANED L AND L WING CONTACTED THE GND CAUSING A SLIGHT BEND. ELT DID NOT ACTIVATE. I LATER ACTIVATED IT. I BUMPED MY HEAD ON THE SKYLIGHT AND WAS STUNNED AND DISORIENTED FOR A WHILE. A SPENT THE NIGHT AND REST OF THE NEXT MORNING WITHOUT SLEEP. I WAS ALSO COLD AND EXPERIENCED EXTREME ANXIETY AS WELL AS FATIGUE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	221614
Time
Date	199209
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : akn
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	221614
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Small aircraft float plane makes emergency forced landing on the tundra, off airport landing. Pilot suffers minor injury. Emotional trauma and fatigue.