Narrative:

Aircraft: small aircraft precaution landing due to insufficient fuel on board to continue flight. Chain of events: problem idented when insufficient power did not allow altitude to be maintained. Corrective action was use of carburetor heat which resulted in resumption of power sufficient to regain altitude. Contributing factors was #3 cylinder being cracked with 0 compression and leaning procedure while carburetor heat applied. Human performance considerations: not realizing fuel burn was at such a high rate. The pilot operating handbook indicates approximately 5.4 gph was normal whereas 8.3 gph was actually being consumed. Closer review of fuel burn on previous leg of flight would have given indication of high fuel burn. Closer review of ete and ate would have helped. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this pilot created quite a stir on the ZLA frequency. Rescue aircraft and helicopters from gcn and flg were in the air to help as well as a passing air carrier. The pilot landed in a field and was taken to gcn airport. He obtained some gasoline and a pickup truck with a tow bar and took off the next day from a road. Mechanics at gcn checked the aircraft and found it airworthy, so he flew on to abq. There, another check of the engine found a bad engine cylinder causing the high fuel usage. The fuel gauges were working properly. The FAA investigated the incident and gave him a 2-DAY oral examination, mostly on WX. A rebuilt engine has been installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED OFF ARPT BECAUSE OF HIGH FUEL USAGE CAUSED BY AN IMPENDING ENG FAILURE.

Narrative: ACFT: SMA PRECAUTION LNDG DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD TO CONTINUE FLT. CHAIN OF EVENTS: PROB IDENTED WHEN INSUFFICIENT PWR DID NOT ALLOW ALT TO BE MAINTAINED. CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS USE OF CARB HEAT WHICH RESULTED IN RESUMPTION OF PWR SUFFICIENT TO REGAIN ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WAS #3 CYLINDER BEING CRACKED WITH 0 COMPRESSION AND LEANING PROC WHILE CARB HEAT APPLIED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: NOT REALIZING FUEL BURN WAS AT SUCH A HIGH RATE. THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK INDICATES APPROX 5.4 GPH WAS NORMAL WHEREAS 8.3 GPH WAS ACTUALLY BEING CONSUMED. CLOSER REVIEW OF FUEL BURN ON PREVIOUS LEG OF FLT WOULD HAVE GIVEN INDICATION OF HIGH FUEL BURN. CLOSER REVIEW OF ETE AND ATE WOULD HAVE HELPED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS PLT CREATED QUITE A STIR ON THE ZLA FREQ. RESCUE ACFT AND HELIS FROM GCN AND FLG WERE IN THE AIR TO HELP AS WELL AS A PASSING ACR. THE PLT LANDED IN A FIELD AND WAS TAKEN TO GCN ARPT. HE OBTAINED SOME GASOLINE AND A PICKUP TRUCK WITH A TOW BAR AND TOOK OFF THE NEXT DAY FROM A ROAD. MECHS AT GCN CHKED THE ACFT AND FOUND IT AIRWORTHY, SO HE FLEW ON TO ABQ. THERE, ANOTHER CHK OF THE ENG FOUND A BAD ENG CYLINDER CAUSING THE HIGH FUEL USAGE. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE WORKING PROPERLY. THE FAA INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND GAVE HIM A 2-DAY ORAL EXAM, MOSTLY ON WX. A REBUILT ENG HAS BEEN INSTALLED.

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.