37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 337885 |
Time | |
Date | 199606 |
Day | Mon |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : tcy |
State Reference | CA |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 800 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Experimental |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Flight Phase | climbout : initial other other |
Route In Use | approach : visual |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : private |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 610 flight time type : 385 |
ASRS Report | 337885 |
Person 2 | |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 610 flight time type : 385 |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
Consequence | other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Shortly after takeoff I noticed that the water temperature was going extremely high. I turned left crosswind, tried decreasing my climb. At that point the rotex 582LC engine quit running. The engine did not seem to be frozen. No time for an attempted restart. I picked the best landing spot available and landed without sustaining any injuries nor causing any property damage. I landed on a flat surface located between the airport and a water canal on my right. The airplane's landing gear collapsed and broke 2 of the wooden propeller blades. The propeller was not turning at the time of landing. The engine quit in very similar manner to that of my plane 2 days before. The only common factor to the 2 engine failures that I can see is that both planes used the same 92 octane automatic gas gotten from the same gas station. Unlike the incident on jun/xx/96 where there was no unusual instrument indications, this engine's temperature gauge rose to a level higher than expected. Even though the egt's temperatures were well within the engine's recommended specifications, it is possible that the new formulated gas may run too lean at these 1125 degree egt readings. I am going to have the gasoline tested at a lab for the correct octane rating for the pump as it was listed, and any other abnormalities it may contain. The fuel samples were clean with no water showing. And then I'll check with rotex manufacturing for similar new incidents and for their recommendations.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: OFF ARPT EMER LNDG MADE WHEN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT ENG QUITS. ACFT DAMAGED. NO INJURIES.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF I NOTICED THAT THE WATER TEMP WAS GOING EXTREMELY HIGH. I TURNED L XWIND, TRIED DECREASING MY CLB. AT THAT POINT THE ROTEX 582LC ENG QUIT RUNNING. THE ENG DID NOT SEEM TO BE FROZEN. NO TIME FOR AN ATTEMPTED RESTART. I PICKED THE BEST LNDG SPOT AVAILABLE AND LANDED WITHOUT SUSTAINING ANY INJURIES NOR CAUSING ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE. I LANDED ON A FLAT SURFACE LOCATED BTWN THE ARPT AND A WATER CANAL ON MY R. THE AIRPLANE'S LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED AND BROKE 2 OF THE WOODEN PROP BLADES. THE PROP WAS NOT TURNING AT THE TIME OF LNDG. THE ENG QUIT IN VERY SIMILAR MANNER TO THAT OF MY PLANE 2 DAYS BEFORE. THE ONLY COMMON FACTOR TO THE 2 ENG FAILURES THAT I CAN SEE IS THAT BOTH PLANES USED THE SAME 92 OCTANE AUTO GAS GOTTEN FROM THE SAME GAS STATION. UNLIKE THE INCIDENT ON JUN/XX/96 WHERE THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL INST INDICATIONS, THIS ENG'S TEMP GAUGE ROSE TO A LEVEL HIGHER THAN EXPECTED. EVEN THOUGH THE EGT'S TEMPS WERE WELL WITHIN THE ENG'S RECOMMENDED SPECS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE NEW FORMULATED GAS MAY RUN TOO LEAN AT THESE 1125 DEG EGT READINGS. I AM GOING TO HAVE THE GASOLINE TESTED AT A LAB FOR THE CORRECT OCTANE RATING FOR THE PUMP AS IT WAS LISTED, AND ANY OTHER ABNORMALITIES IT MAY CONTAIN. THE FUEL SAMPLES WERE CLEAN WITH NO WATER SHOWING. AND THEN I'LL CHK WITH ROTEX MANUFACTURING FOR SIMILAR NEW INCIDENTS AND FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
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.