37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 351779 |
Time | |
Date | 199611 |
Day | Sat |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : jso |
State Reference | TX |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Flight Phase | cruise other other |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1500 |
ASRS Report | 351779 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | observation : passenger |
Qualification | other other : other |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
Consequence | faa : investigated |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Departed jso at jacksonville, tx. After refueling, took on about 32 gallons, total on board at that time was approximately 70 gallons. New fuel was added to inboard tanks. Departed about XA15 pm with 3 passenger returning to 52F airport on the 300 degree radial. About 25 mins into the flight and at approximately 3500 ft, there was a hesitation and a surge in the fuel flow meter and my front seat passenger asked me if I felt that disturbance, yes I did. From that point with mixture rich and boost pump on, the engine would cut out then refire repeatedly until the engine died. By this time we had lost altitude, there was no clear place to land. It had been raining several days prior and the countryside was very wet. I saw an FM rd running east and west, wanted to land into the wind (west), but there were trees along both sides of the road and I wasn't sure of vehicles so I turned 180 degrees, downwind, no vehicles, missing the electric lines and landed to the east with long rollout missing road signs, markers and trees. There was no damage to the aircraft nor was there bodily injury to my 3 passenger. The plane was towed to a farm house where it was secured and away from the highway. I do not know the cause, but suspect that it is a fuel injection problem or contaminated fuel. The base operator has normal fuel turn over and has no other reported occurrences. A licensed mechanic is in the process of determining what the problem may be. When the solution is solved we will try and obtain permission to fly it out. I have owned the plane since new and it has a total engine and airframe time of 1178 hours. Always hangared.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA32 25 MINS AFTER A REFUELING STOP IN VMC CONDITIONS, ENG BEGAN ROUGH OP AND QUIT. ABLE TO LAND ON ROAD WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT OR INJURY TO PAX.
Narrative: DEPARTED JSO AT JACKSONVILLE, TX. AFTER REFUELING, TOOK ON ABOUT 32 GALLONS, TOTAL ON BOARD AT THAT TIME WAS APPROX 70 GALLONS. NEW FUEL WAS ADDED TO INBOARD TANKS. DEPARTED ABOUT XA15 PM WITH 3 PAX RETURNING TO 52F ARPT ON THE 300 DEG RADIAL. ABOUT 25 MINS INTO THE FLT AND AT APPROX 3500 FT, THERE WAS A HESITATION AND A SURGE IN THE FUEL FLOW METER AND MY FRONT SEAT PAX ASKED ME IF I FELT THAT DISTURBANCE, YES I DID. FROM THAT POINT WITH MIXTURE RICH AND BOOST PUMP ON, THE ENG WOULD CUT OUT THEN REFIRE REPEATEDLY UNTIL THE ENG DIED. BY THIS TIME WE HAD LOST ALT, THERE WAS NO CLR PLACE TO LAND. IT HAD BEEN RAINING SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR AND THE COUNTRYSIDE WAS VERY WET. I SAW AN FM RD RUNNING E AND W, WANTED TO LAND INTO THE WIND (W), BUT THERE WERE TREES ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD AND I WASN'T SURE OF VEHICLES SO I TURNED 180 DEGS, DOWNWIND, NO VEHICLES, MISSING THE ELECTRIC LINES AND LANDED TO THE E WITH LONG ROLLOUT MISSING ROAD SIGNS, MARKERS AND TREES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT NOR WAS THERE BODILY INJURY TO MY 3 PAX. THE PLANE WAS TOWED TO A FARM HOUSE WHERE IT WAS SECURED AND AWAY FROM THE HWY. I DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE, BUT SUSPECT THAT IT IS A FUEL INJECTION PROB OR CONTAMINATED FUEL. THE BASE OPERATOR HAS NORMAL FUEL TURN OVER AND HAS NO OTHER RPTED OCCURRENCES. A LICENSED MECH IS IN THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING WHAT THE PROB MAY BE. WHEN THE SOLUTION IS SOLVED WE WILL TRY AND OBTAIN PERMISSION TO FLY IT OUT. I HAVE OWNED THE PLANE SINCE NEW AND IT HAS A TOTAL ENG AND AIRFRAME TIME OF 1178 HRS. ALWAYS HANGARED.
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.