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Cessna L19 bird dog engine loses power during initial climb out, while towing glider, and returns to land releasing the glider. There was no damage to either aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 350306 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199610 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hnm |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 170 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 350306 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The L19 was being used to tow gliders. The morning shift pilot indicated that the engine was running a little rough on the ground but smoothed out at higher power settings. The aircraft has already done about 15 tows before it was my turn. While taxiing, I noticed that the engine was running a little rough. A runup showed no problems with each magneto and the engine ran much smoother at the higher power setting. On takeoff, there was a loss of power at about 100-200 ft AGL. The glider pilot (in the tow) said he saw lots of black smoke coming from the right side of the cowling. I turned back to the airport and the glider released safely. On the ground, we checked the engine. After changing the plugs, the aircraft was used for the remaining afternoon in towing. It appears that there may have been fuel contamination or substantial spark plug fouling.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CESSNA L19 BIRD DOG ENG LOSES PWR DURING INITIAL CLBOUT, WHILE TOWING GLIDER, AND RETURNS TO LAND RELEASING THE GLIDER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER ACFT.
Narrative: THE L19 WAS BEING USED TO TOW GLIDERS. THE MORNING SHIFT PLT INDICATED THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH ON THE GND BUT SMOOTHED OUT AT HIGHER PWR SETTINGS. THE ACFT HAS ALREADY DONE ABOUT 15 TOWS BEFORE IT WAS MY TURN. WHILE TAXIING, I NOTICED THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH. A RUNUP SHOWED NO PROBS WITH EACH MAGNETO AND THE ENG RAN MUCH SMOOTHER AT THE HIGHER PWR SETTING. ON TKOF, THERE WAS A LOSS OF PWR AT ABOUT 100-200 FT AGL. THE GLIDER PLT (IN THE TOW) SAID HE SAW LOTS OF BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE R SIDE OF THE COWLING. I TURNED BACK TO THE ARPT AND THE GLIDER RELEASED SAFELY. ON THE GND, WE CHKED THE ENG. AFTER CHANGING THE PLUGS, THE ACFT WAS USED FOR THE REMAINING AFTERNOON IN TOWING. IT APPEARS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN FUEL CONTAMINATION OR SUBSTANTIAL SPARK PLUG FOULING.
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.