 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Decathlon pilot practicing inverted maneuvers has rough engine. Makes precautionary off airport landing. Possible fuel distribution problem. Precautionary landing. Rough engine.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 337508 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cdn |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pia |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 337508 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Introduction to inverted aerobatics. The engine suddenly started to run rough and intermittently. I decided on a precautionary landing in a cow pasture to investigate the problem. The inverted tank seemed to be full or refilled (it takes 5 mins according to the handbook for the decathlon) and about 5 gallons left in the main tank. I decided to put 5 more gallons into the tank and tried a ground run with emergency fuel pump. Engine had a hard time to start up and was still coughing. It slowly recovered and ran normal after about 5 mins. The aircraft was flown back to the airport and ia's investigation is pending. Low main fuel state and inverted tank limits might have contributed to incident. The engine driven fuel pump seems to have less than desired output. There could have been air in the fuel line due to temporary fuel starvation in negative flight environment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DECATHLON PLT PRACTICING INVERTED MANEUVERS HAS ROUGH ENG. MAKES PRECAUTIONARY OFF ARPT LNDG. POSSIBLE FUEL DISTRIBUTION PROB. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. ROUGH ENG.
Narrative: INTRODUCTION TO INVERTED AEROBATICS. THE ENG SUDDENLY STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND INTERMITTENTLY. I DECIDED ON A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A COW PASTURE TO INVESTIGATE THE PROB. THE INVERTED TANK SEEMED TO BE FULL OR REFILLED (IT TAKES 5 MINS ACCORDING TO THE HANDBOOK FOR THE DECATHLON) AND ABOUT 5 GALLONS LEFT IN THE MAIN TANK. I DECIDED TO PUT 5 MORE GALLONS INTO THE TANK AND TRIED A GND RUN WITH EMER FUEL PUMP. ENG HAD A HARD TIME TO START UP AND WAS STILL COUGHING. IT SLOWLY RECOVERED AND RAN NORMAL AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO THE ARPT AND IA'S INVESTIGATION IS PENDING. LOW MAIN FUEL STATE AND INVERTED TANK LIMITS MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO INCIDENT. THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP SEEMS TO HAVE LESS THAN DESIRED OUTPUT. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AIR IN THE FUEL LINE DUE TO TEMPORARY FUEL STARVATION IN NEGATIVE FLT ENVIRONMENT.
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.