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2 ATP CFI rated pilots run out of fuel in IMC and make a successful forced landing on a road. The pilots suspect a leaky fuel cap resulted in fuel depletion at unexpected rate causing premature engine fuel starvation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 326613 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : blf |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid tower : buf |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 159 flight time total : 3627 flight time type : 550 |
| ASRS Report | 326613 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2520 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 326695 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
In sum: 2 flight instructor pilots planned an IFR flight from an indianapolis airport to rdu. Upon realizing they could not make the trip non stop as planned due to headwinds and lack of fuel they ultimately selected bluefield airport (blf). Due to a 25-30 KT crosswind the pilots were unable to land. The ceiling was actually 400 ft and not 900 ft as advertised. On the go around the pilots turned left contrary to published missed approach procedures and flew into IMC towards high terrain and obstacles obscured in the overcast. The engine ran out of fuel and quit during the missed approach vectors. Turning back toward the airport the pilots in the glide broke out and determined they could not make the airport over a ridge. Turning away from the ridge they spotted a road and landed. No persons were injured or property damaged. The damage to the aircraft was minor. The aircraft was towed to the airport on the road.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 2 ATP CFI RATED PLTS RUN OUT OF FUEL IN IMC AND MAKE A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG ON A ROAD. THE PLTS SUSPECT A LEAKY FUEL CAP RESULTED IN FUEL DEPLETION AT UNEXPECTED RATE CAUSING PREMATURE ENG FUEL STARVATION.
Narrative: IN SUM: 2 FLT INSTRUCTOR PLTS PLANNED AN IFR FLT FROM AN INDIANAPOLIS ARPT TO RDU. UPON REALIZING THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE TRIP NON STOP AS PLANNED DUE TO HEADWINDS AND LACK OF FUEL THEY ULTIMATELY SELECTED BLUEFIELD ARPT (BLF). DUE TO A 25-30 KT XWIND THE PLTS WERE UNABLE TO LAND. THE CEILING WAS ACTUALLY 400 FT AND NOT 900 FT AS ADVERTISED. ON THE GAR THE PLTS TURNED L CONTRARY TO PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROCS AND FLEW INTO IMC TOWARDS HIGH TERRAIN AND OBSTACLES OBSCURED IN THE OVCST. THE ENG RAN OUT OF FUEL AND QUIT DURING THE MISSED APCH VECTORS. TURNING BACK TOWARD THE ARPT THE PLTS IN THE GLIDE BROKE OUT AND DETERMINED THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE ARPT OVER A RIDGE. TURNING AWAY FROM THE RIDGE THEY SPOTTED A ROAD AND LANDED. NO PERSONS WERE INJURED OR PROPERTY DAMAGED. THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS MINOR. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE ARPT ON THE ROAD.
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.