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Engine of small aircraft has an intake leak which causes high fuel consumption and the aircraft lands short of runway by 5 mi north of demopolis, al.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 342177 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 7a2 |
| State Reference | AL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cardinal 177/177RG |
| 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 : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 27 flight time total : 172 flight time type : 82 |
| ASRS Report | 342177 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Flight planning showed flight to take 4 hours or less, leaving 45 mins of reserve fuel. Aircraft engine lost power after 3 hours and 45 mins due to apparent fuel exhaustion. Aircraft landed on highway without damage to persons or property. Later mechanical inspection revealed intake manifold seal leak causing high fuel consumption. Fuel consumption normal after mechanical repair. More reserve fuel to accommodate for mechanical malfunction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had his flight instructor with him, so with the higher time pilot available, he made the landing on the highway. No one on the ground cleared the way for them to land. After landing, several local people blocked the highway so the aircraft would be protected. After restarting the aircraft and landing at destination, engine started to run rough at low RPM settings. Once the aircraft was returned to base it went in for an annual inspection and the leaking intake seals were found. Pilots were convinced they could fly close to 5 hours, but engine performance caught them by surprise with its excessive use of fuel.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENG OF SMA HAS AN INTAKE LEAK WHICH CAUSES HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION AND THE ACFT LANDS SHORT OF RWY BY 5 MI N OF DEMOPOLIS, AL.
Narrative: FLT PLANNING SHOWED FLT TO TAKE 4 HRS OR LESS, LEAVING 45 MINS OF RESERVE FUEL. ACFT ENG LOST PWR AFTER 3 HRS AND 45 MINS DUE TO APPARENT FUEL EXHAUSTION. ACFT LANDED ON HWY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY. LATER MECHANICAL INSPECTION REVEALED INTAKE MANIFOLD SEAL LEAK CAUSING HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION. FUEL CONSUMPTION NORMAL AFTER MECHANICAL REPAIR. MORE RESERVE FUEL TO ACCOMMODATE FOR MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD HIS FLT INSTRUCTOR WITH HIM, SO WITH THE HIGHER TIME PLT AVAILABLE, HE MADE THE LNDG ON THE HWY. NO ONE ON THE GND CLRED THE WAY FOR THEM TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, SEVERAL LCL PEOPLE BLOCKED THE HWY SO THE ACFT WOULD BE PROTECTED. AFTER RESTARTING THE ACFT AND LNDG AT DEST, ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AT LOW RPM SETTINGS. ONCE THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO BASE IT WENT IN FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THE LEAKING INTAKE SEALS WERE FOUND. PLTS WERE CONVINCED THEY COULD FLY CLOSE TO 5 HRS, BUT ENG PERFORMANCE CAUGHT THEM BY SURPRISE WITH ITS EXCESSIVE USE OF FUEL.
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.