Narrative:

I was acting as a safety pilot for hire for 5 approachs at wichita mid-continent. On the 6TH approach, the pilot decided he wanted to shoot it visually since he'd been under the hood for a while and was still 'new' to this area. The engine coughed so he switched tanks and turned on the auxiliary fuel pump. The engine regained power/RPM/mp and continued for approximately 15 seconds. During this time the pilot decided to cancel the practice approach and headed straight for the runway. He touched down short of the runway and proceeded to hit an approach light on the roll out. The bonanza sustained damage as well as the light, however no injuries occurred. The airport safety officers classified this as an incident which the pilot later verified over the telephone. His interpretation was that this was an incident not an accident therefore a report to the NTSB/FAA was not required unless requested. The regulations concerning the difference between incident and accident are somewhat unclr. 1 example of this is: if damage to property other than aircraft is less than $25000 then it's an incident. The question arises as to how an individual can determine that cost of repair. Another potential problem is that in past instances the pilot which was investigated was the highest timed, and the most licensed individual on board. I am probably the most experienced that was on board at the time. However, I was not acting as a crew member or a pilot on the last approach as he chose to continue it visually (no view limiting device). I did make radio calls and select gear down after checking with the PIC, to help ease his workload. I feel he did maintain control of the airplane and made an acceptable landing under the circumstances. We later found out the problem could have been due to vapor lock. The right fuel tank was dry, however, the left was full.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN -- LNDG UNDERSHOT.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS A SAFETY PLT FOR HIRE FOR 5 APCHS AT WICHITA MID-CONTINENT. ON THE 6TH APCH, THE PLT DECIDED HE WANTED TO SHOOT IT VISUALLY SINCE HE'D BEEN UNDER THE HOOD FOR A WHILE AND WAS STILL 'NEW' TO THIS AREA. THE ENG COUGHED SO HE SWITCHED TANKS AND TURNED ON THE AUX FUEL PUMP. THE ENG REGAINED PWR/RPM/MP AND CONTINUED FOR APPROX 15 SECONDS. DURING THIS TIME THE PLT DECIDED TO CANCEL THE PRACTICE APCH AND HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE RWY. HE TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RWY AND PROCEEDED TO HIT AN APCH LIGHT ON THE ROLL OUT. THE BONANZA SUSTAINED DAMAGE AS WELL AS THE LIGHT, HOWEVER NO INJURIES OCCURRED. THE ARPT SAFETY OFFICERS CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN INCIDENT WHICH THE PLT LATER VERIFIED OVER THE TELEPHONE. HIS INTERP WAS THAT THIS WAS AN INCIDENT NOT AN ACCIDENT THEREFORE A RPT TO THE NTSB/FAA WAS NOT REQUIRED UNLESS REQUESTED. THE REGS CONCERNING THE DIFFERENCE BTWN INCIDENT AND ACCIDENT ARE SOMEWHAT UNCLR. 1 EXAMPLE OF THIS IS: IF DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OTHER THAN ACFT IS LESS THAN $25000 THEN IT'S AN INCIDENT. THE QUESTION ARISES AS TO HOW AN INDIVIDUAL CAN DETERMINE THAT COST OF REPAIR. ANOTHER POTENTIAL PROB IS THAT IN PAST INSTANCES THE PLT WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED WAS THE HIGHEST TIMED, AND THE MOST LICENSED INDIVIDUAL ON BOARD. I AM PROBABLY THE MOST EXPERIENCED THAT WAS ON BOARD AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT ACTING AS A CREW MEMBER OR A PLT ON THE LAST APCH AS HE CHOSE TO CONTINUE IT VISUALLY (NO VIEW LIMITING DEVICE). I DID MAKE RADIO CALLS AND SELECT GEAR DOWN AFTER CHKING WITH THE PIC, TO HELP EASE HIS WORKLOAD. I FEEL HE DID MAINTAIN CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND MADE AN ACCEPTABLE LNDG UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. WE LATER FOUND OUT THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO VAPOR LOCK. THE R FUEL TANK WAS DRY, HOWEVER, THE L WAS FULL.

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.