Narrative:

At about XL50 at hef, I was cleared to depart runway 34L. After rotation, I put up the wheels. At the end of the runway, I called the tower and said I was turning to depart to the east. I was cleared to do so and changed frequencys. I noticed about 1 min later moisture on the bottom of the clock. At first I thought it might be some of the anticorrosive liquid sprayed during the annual which was finished dec/xb/93. The spot grew larger as I set the power and fuel flow and put on the autoplt. I removed the dash cover in about 1 min and placed it in the back seat so I could look behind the dash. I saw the fuel flow gauge line spraying a small spray of fuel. Instantly, I cut off the autoplt and turned toward hef contacting the tower on communication 2. They were notified of a problem, which I did not consider an emergency at that time, and that I had to have a direct in landing. Clearance was given and I set up myself for runway 34L turning the short final. The wheels were dropped (gumps). Pressure/fuel flow and propeller was set to maximum and throttle was retarded to 16 inches, flaps 15 degrees. The leak became a large spray instantly, at the same time I was trying to open all the fresh air vents and windows, tune and switch to communication 1 which has a battery direct line so I could shut down the rest of the electrical system for fear of igniting the evaporating fuel. I slowed down the fuel flow to about 8 gph and cut the throttle way back. The spray subsided to a trickle. During this time I looked out of the window to maintain a good GS but, at the last min, found myself drifting in line with the taxiway. I realized what happened but saw no traffic on the taxiway or near it and needing power to correct the situation, decided I had an emergency and committed myself to the landing on the taxiway because giving power required the increase fuel pressure which would have created another gas spray all over the inside of the front cabin. I then switched to battery on communication 1 and acknowledged that I was landing on the taxiway. The touchdown was flawless with 15 degree flaps and I rolled off the taxiway onto the ramp. I cut the master off hoping the spark in the switch would not ignite the fumes because that part of the panel was wet with gas. I shut down and got out. In retrospect, I can think of no other way to have achieved the landing with all the things which went wrong and demanded attention. The only thing which would have made me feel better during the end of the flight is if I knew that the master switch and the switch which was used to go from master power to direct battery power for communication 1 were explosion proof rated (as is all equipment in an operating room). I actually hesitated and delayed this action because of fear that a spark would be created in turning off the master switch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT LANDED ON A TXWY AFTER RETURNING TO LAND DUE TO A FUEL LEAK IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XL50 AT HEF, I WAS CLRED TO DEPART RWY 34L. AFTER ROTATION, I PUT UP THE WHEELS. AT THE END OF THE RWY, I CALLED THE TWR AND SAID I WAS TURNING TO DEPART TO THE E. I WAS CLRED TO DO SO AND CHANGED FREQS. I NOTICED ABOUT 1 MIN LATER MOISTURE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOCK. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE SOME OF THE ANTICORROSIVE LIQUID SPRAYED DURING THE ANNUAL WHICH WAS FINISHED DEC/XB/93. THE SPOT GREW LARGER AS I SET THE PWR AND FUEL FLOW AND PUT ON THE AUTOPLT. I REMOVED THE DASH COVER IN ABOUT 1 MIN AND PLACED IT IN THE BACK SEAT SO I COULD LOOK BEHIND THE DASH. I SAW THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE LINE SPRAYING A SMALL SPRAY OF FUEL. INSTANTLY, I CUT OFF THE AUTOPLT AND TURNED TOWARD HEF CONTACTING THE TWR ON COM 2. THEY WERE NOTIFIED OF A PROB, WHICH I DID NOT CONSIDER AN EMER AT THAT TIME, AND THAT I HAD TO HAVE A DIRECT IN LNDG. CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND I SET UP MYSELF FOR RWY 34L TURNING THE SHORT FINAL. THE WHEELS WERE DROPPED (GUMPS). PRESSURE/FUEL FLOW AND PROP WAS SET TO MAX AND THROTTLE WAS RETARDED TO 16 INCHES, FLAPS 15 DEGS. THE LEAK BECAME A LARGE SPRAY INSTANTLY, AT THE SAME TIME I WAS TRYING TO OPEN ALL THE FRESH AIR VENTS AND WINDOWS, TUNE AND SWITCH TO COM 1 WHICH HAS A BATTERY DIRECT LINE SO I COULD SHUT DOWN THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL SYS FOR FEAR OF IGNITING THE EVAPORATING FUEL. I SLOWED DOWN THE FUEL FLOW TO ABOUT 8 GPH AND CUT THE THROTTLE WAY BACK. THE SPRAY SUBSIDED TO A TRICKLE. DURING THIS TIME I LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW TO MAINTAIN A GOOD GS BUT, AT THE LAST MIN, FOUND MYSELF DRIFTING IN LINE WITH THE TXWY. I REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED BUT SAW NO TFC ON THE TXWY OR NEAR IT AND NEEDING PWR TO CORRECT THE SIT, DECIDED I HAD AN EMER AND COMMITTED MYSELF TO THE LNDG ON THE TXWY BECAUSE GIVING PWR REQUIRED THE INCREASE FUEL PRESSURE WHICH WOULD HAVE CREATED ANOTHER GAS SPRAY ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT CABIN. I THEN SWITCHED TO BATTERY ON COM 1 AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS LNDG ON THE TXWY. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS FLAWLESS WITH 15 DEG FLAPS AND I ROLLED OFF THE TXWY ONTO THE RAMP. I CUT THE MASTER OFF HOPING THE SPARK IN THE SWITCH WOULD NOT IGNITE THE FUMES BECAUSE THAT PART OF THE PANEL WAS WET WITH GAS. I SHUT DOWN AND GOT OUT. IN RETROSPECT, I CAN THINK OF NO OTHER WAY TO HAVE ACHIEVED THE LNDG WITH ALL THE THINGS WHICH WENT WRONG AND DEMANDED ATTN. THE ONLY THING WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE ME FEEL BETTER DURING THE END OF THE FLT IS IF I KNEW THAT THE MASTER SWITCH AND THE SWITCH WHICH WAS USED TO GO FROM MASTER PWR TO DIRECT BATTERY PWR FOR COM 1 WERE EXPLOSION PROOF RATED (AS IS ALL EQUIP IN AN OPERATING ROOM). I ACTUALLY HESITATED AND DELAYED THIS ACTION BECAUSE OF FEAR THAT A SPARK WOULD BE CREATED IN TURNING OFF THE MASTER SWITCH.

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.