An small aircraft freighter pilot had a rough running engine. He landed at destination.

Attributes
ACN	225142
Time
Date	199210
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mfe
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mfe
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1810 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	225142
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While descending from 8000 MSL in preparation for an initial approach about 26 mi wsw of midland international airport, the engine lost power and I was unable to maintain altitude. The roughness was sudden and seemed related to fuel. Also the plane was using a much higher fuel burn of 19 gph at 8000 MSL instead of 14 gph. The emergency procedures were followed. I switched fuel tank to the left from the right. Both tanks showed 3/8 full. The plane dropped about 500-800 ft before the engines restarted at 6300 MSL. The flight continued to a normal landing. Upon landing and shutdown, a mechanic inspected and tested the engine. A rough banging was apparent during testing at full power settings and cruise power. A detailed inspection and fuel flow measurement followed. No problem was found. A blue streak of fuel was visible from the right fuel cap rearward to the trailing edge. The airplane right tank showed 1/16 fuel after inspection with drainage fuel. After receiving the airplane from the mechanic, the right fuel gauges showed empty and the engine stopped running when the right fuel tank was selected. I believe the problem of power loss was fuel exhaustion of the right tank with a faulty fuel gauge indicating 3/8 fuel and an unknown fuel loss over the fuel cap and higher than normal fuel flows. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporting pilot does not know the status of the aircraft as he was let go after the incident. The fuel gauge on the left tank showed 3/8 when in fact it was about to run out of fuel. The reporter is looking for something to further his aviation career.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA FREIGHTER PLT HAD A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. HE LANDED AT DEST.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FROM 8000 MSL IN PREPARATION FOR AN INITIAL APCH ABOUT 26 MI WSW OF MIDLAND INTL ARPT, THE ENG LOST PWR AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. THE ROUGHNESS WAS SUDDEN AND SEEMED RELATED TO FUEL. ALSO THE PLANE WAS USING A MUCH HIGHER FUEL BURN OF 19 GPH AT 8000 MSL INSTEAD OF 14 GPH. THE EMER PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. I SWITCHED FUEL TANK TO THE L FROM THE R. BOTH TANKS SHOWED 3/8 FULL. THE PLANE DROPPED ABOUT 500-800 FT BEFORE THE ENGS RESTARTED AT 6300 MSL. THE FLT CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG. UPON LNDG AND SHUTDOWN, A MECH INSPECTED AND TESTED THE ENG. A ROUGH BANGING WAS APPARENT DURING TESTING AT FULL PWR SETTINGS AND CRUISE PWR. A DETAILED INSPECTION AND FUEL FLOW MEASUREMENT FOLLOWED. NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. A BLUE STREAK OF FUEL WAS VISIBLE FROM THE R FUEL CAP REARWARD TO THE TRAILING EDGE. THE AIRPLANE R TANK SHOWED 1/16 FUEL AFTER INSPECTION WITH DRAINAGE FUEL. AFTER RECEIVING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE MECH, THE R FUEL GAUGES SHOWED EMPTY AND THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING WHEN THE R FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM OF PWR LOSS WAS FUEL EXHAUSTION OF THE R TANK WITH A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE INDICATING 3/8 FUEL AND AN UNKNOWN FUEL LOSS OVER THE FUEL CAP AND HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL FLOWS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTING PLT DOES NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF THE ACFT AS HE WAS LET GO AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE L TANK SHOWED 3/8 WHEN IN FACT IT WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE RPTR IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO FURTHER HIS AVIATION CAREER.

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.