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C150 aircraft in cruise experienced power loss. Private pilot received vectors from approach controller and diverted to an airport for an uneventful landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 366703 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199704 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sns |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mry tower : ewr |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 320 flight time type : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 366703 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Flight originated at pao en route sbp. Reached cruise altitude (over sjc class C) of 5500! Scatted cumulus at 3000-3500 ft prevented lower cruise. Checked in with mry (133.0) over hecker pass. Oil pressure and temperature normal. Engine had 5 quarts oil on takeoff. Upon reaching a point about 6 NM nnw of sns, engine lost approximately 300 RPM abruptly and considerable vibration set in. Application of carburetor heat and magneto checks did not alter condition. Suspecting an engine problem, I notified mry approach of my condition. Though power was still available, I declared an emergency as approach could get much worse without warning. Scattered clouds prevented immediate sighting of sns airport. I requested a vector from approach which did confirm my navigation. From my altitude there was little doubt I could reach airport even with little or no power. I reduced power to less than 2000 RPM, which reduced vibration. Mry approach turned me over to sns tower. Airport became visible by 2500 ft and I was able to land with no trouble on the active runway 26. I was able to taxi to the terminal. I noted oil pressure and temperature were still in the green. A later run-up on the ground showed that 1 cylinder was no longer producing power. As of this writing the exact cause is unknown to me. This is a rental aircraft which I have flown before.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C150 ACFT IN CRUISE EXPERIENCED PWR LOSS. PVT PLT RECEIVED VECTORS FROM APCH CTLR AND DIVERTED TO AN ARPT FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG.
Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED AT PAO ENRTE SBP. REACHED CRUISE ALT (OVER SJC CLASS C) OF 5500! SCATTED CUMULUS AT 3000-3500 FT PREVENTED LOWER CRUISE. CHKED IN WITH MRY (133.0) OVER HECKER PASS. OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP NORMAL. ENG HAD 5 QUARTS OIL ON TKOF. UPON REACHING A POINT ABOUT 6 NM NNW OF SNS, ENG LOST APPROX 300 RPM ABRUPTLY AND CONSIDERABLE VIBRATION SET IN. APPLICATION OF CARB HEAT AND MAGNETO CHKS DID NOT ALTER CONDITION. SUSPECTING AN ENG PROB, I NOTIFIED MRY APCH OF MY CONDITION. THOUGH PWR WAS STILL AVAILABLE, I DECLARED AN EMER AS APCH COULD GET MUCH WORSE WITHOUT WARNING. SCATTERED CLOUDS PREVENTED IMMEDIATE SIGHTING OF SNS ARPT. I REQUESTED A VECTOR FROM APCH WHICH DID CONFIRM MY NAV. FROM MY ALT THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT I COULD REACH ARPT EVEN WITH LITTLE OR NO PWR. I REDUCED PWR TO LESS THAN 2000 RPM, WHICH REDUCED VIBRATION. MRY APCH TURNED ME OVER TO SNS TWR. ARPT BECAME VISIBLE BY 2500 FT AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND WITH NO TROUBLE ON THE ACTIVE RWY 26. I WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO THE TERMINAL. I NOTED OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP WERE STILL IN THE GREEN. A LATER RUN-UP ON THE GND SHOWED THAT 1 CYLINDER WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING PWR. AS OF THIS WRITING THE EXACT CAUSE IS UNKNOWN TO ME. THIS IS A RENTAL ACFT WHICH I HAVE FLOWN BEFORE.
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.