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Small aircraft pilot disoriented and low on fuel. On final approach engine quits.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 231164 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199301 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ruq |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 106 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 231164 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I prepared to depart line county airport (5n4) on a 255 NM cross country to mt airy/surry county (mwk) direct person county (tdf) direct 5n4. Fuel gauges showed full tanks and visual inspection confirmed tanks were topped off. 1 quart of oil was also added. At full fuel tanks the small aircraft has approximately 4 hours flying time according the pilot's operating handbook. I calculated a total flying time of 3.2 hours in this cross country. Departing 5n4, I flew directly to mwk in 45 min -- 65 NM -- landed and departed again. I flew directly to tdf in 50 min -- 76 NM -- and departed for 5n4 -- 115 NM. The hobbs meter read 3024.7 at 5n4 on departure and 3026.3 at tdf. Calculating a return trip of 1.5 hour maximum, I would still have a reserve of at least 30 min fuel upon landing. Realizing that I was off course and not seeing any familiar landmarks, I began looking for an airport with fuel. After several mins I saw a grass airstrip with 2 trailers parked nearby. Upon landing I went to each trailer and both were empty. I then stopped a passing trucker and asked for directions to a nearby town. Concord was to my northwest. After flying several mins in that direction. I didn't have the tow or the airport in sight. At this point, I called charlotte. Fuel gauges still showed fuel and my calculations showed I had enough time (20-30 mins) to make a safe landing. It was several mins before charlotte called me saying they saw me on radar. I said I was low on fuel and was told rowan county airport was 8 mi to the north. I told him I had the airport in sight directly in front of me. A min or 2 later, he said it was at my 0130 O'clock position, much closer than I thought. I was, by now, nearly on top of it. Still not feeling I was out of fuel -- according to the gauge and time in flight -- I didn't declare an emergency. Another aircraft was on the runway at this time. I began a short pattern by cutting across midfield to join the downwind leg. I called unicom saying I would be landing and needed fuel. At the moment I was turning base at about 700 ft, I saw another airplane directly in front of me. I was listening for him to state his intentions, but he wasn't on the radio. Not knowing if he saw me when I announced 'turning base,' I continued downwind until he was out of the way. Had I know I was almost out of fuel, I would have certainly declared an emergency and cut in front of him -- hoping he was listening on the same frequency. When I turned base, I touched the throttle to keep from losing more altitude and the engine quit. Established a 60 KT glide and tried to restart the engine 2 or 3 times. The runway was too far away to reach in a glide. I looked for a place to land and only saw trees and buildings and a small field, a portion of which was under water. I put in the last 20 degrees of flaps, shut everything off, and landed with the nose held high to prevent the airplane from nosing over in the soft field or the water. The airplane came to an abrupt step, the doors flew open and water splashed in. I was uninjured. I grabbed my gear and stepped out into knee deep mud and water. 4 men working nearby came running and pulled me out of the mud. They heard the engine quit and heard me try to restart it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT DISORIENTED AND LOW ON FUEL. ON FINAL APCH ENG QUITS.
Narrative: I PREPARED TO DEPART LINE COUNTY ARPT (5N4) ON A 255 NM XCOUNTRY TO MT AIRY/SURRY COUNTY (MWK) DIRECT PERSON COUNTY (TDF) DIRECT 5N4. FUEL GAUGES SHOWED FULL TANKS AND VISUAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF. 1 QUART OF OIL WAS ALSO ADDED. AT FULL FUEL TANKS THE SMA HAS APPROX 4 HRS FLYING TIME ACCORDING THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK. I CALCULATED A TOTAL FLYING TIME OF 3.2 HRS IN THIS XCOUNTRY. DEPARTING 5N4, I FLEW DIRECTLY TO MWK IN 45 MIN -- 65 NM -- LANDED AND DEPARTED AGAIN. I FLEW DIRECTLY TO TDF IN 50 MIN -- 76 NM -- AND DEPARTED FOR 5N4 -- 115 NM. THE HOBBS METER READ 3024.7 AT 5N4 ON DEP AND 3026.3 AT TDF. CALCULATING A RETURN TRIP OF 1.5 HR MAX, I WOULD STILL HAVE A RESERVE OF AT LEAST 30 MIN FUEL UPON LNDG. REALIZING THAT I WAS OFF COURSE AND NOT SEEING ANY FAMILIAR LANDMARKS, I BEGAN LOOKING FOR AN ARPT WITH FUEL. AFTER SEVERAL MINS I SAW A GRASS AIRSTRIP WITH 2 TRAILERS PARKED NEARBY. UPON LNDG I WENT TO EACH TRAILER AND BOTH WERE EMPTY. I THEN STOPPED A PASSING TRUCKER AND ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO A NEARBY TOWN. CONCORD WAS TO MY NW. AFTER FLYING SEVERAL MINS IN THAT DIRECTION. I DIDN'T HAVE THE TOW OR THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT THIS POINT, I CALLED CHARLOTTE. FUEL GAUGES STILL SHOWED FUEL AND MY CALCULATIONS SHOWED I HAD ENOUGH TIME (20-30 MINS) TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. IT WAS SEVERAL MINS BEFORE CHARLOTTE CALLED ME SAYING THEY SAW ME ON RADAR. I SAID I WAS LOW ON FUEL AND WAS TOLD ROWAN COUNTY ARPT WAS 8 MI TO THE N. I TOLD HIM I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. A MIN OR 2 LATER, HE SAID IT WAS AT MY 0130 O'CLOCK POS, MUCH CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT. I WAS, BY NOW, NEARLY ON TOP OF IT. STILL NOT FEELING I WAS OUT OF FUEL -- ACCORDING TO THE GAUGE AND TIME IN FLT -- I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER. ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON THE RWY AT THIS TIME. I BEGAN A SHORT PATTERN BY CUTTING ACROSS MIDFIELD TO JOIN THE DOWNWIND LEG. I CALLED UNICOM SAYING I WOULD BE LNDG AND NEEDED FUEL. AT THE MOMENT I WAS TURNING BASE AT ABOUT 700 FT, I SAW ANOTHER AIRPLANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS LISTENING FOR HIM TO STATE HIS INTENTIONS, BUT HE WASN'T ON THE RADIO. NOT KNOWING IF HE SAW ME WHEN I ANNOUNCED 'TURNING BASE,' I CONTINUED DOWNWIND UNTIL HE WAS OUT OF THE WAY. HAD I KNOW I WAS ALMOST OUT OF FUEL, I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY DECLARED AN EMER AND CUT IN FRONT OF HIM -- HOPING HE WAS LISTENING ON THE SAME FREQ. WHEN I TURNED BASE, I TOUCHED THE THROTTLE TO KEEP FROM LOSING MORE ALT AND THE ENG QUIT. ESTABLISHED A 60 KT GLIDE AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENG 2 OR 3 TIMES. THE RWY WAS TOO FAR AWAY TO REACH IN A GLIDE. I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND ONLY SAW TREES AND BUILDINGS AND A SMALL FIELD, A PORTION OF WHICH WAS UNDER WATER. I PUT IN THE LAST 20 DEGS OF FLAPS, SHUT EVERYTHING OFF, AND LANDED WITH THE NOSE HELD HIGH TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM NOSING OVER IN THE SOFT FIELD OR THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STEP, THE DOORS FLEW OPEN AND WATER SPLASHED IN. I WAS UNINJURED. I GRABBED MY GEAR AND STEPPED OUT INTO KNEE DEEP MUD AND WATER. 4 MEN WORKING NEARBY CAME RUNNING AND PULLED ME OUT OF THE MUD. THEY HEARD THE ENG QUIT AND HEARD ME TRY TO RESTART IT.
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.